How your 'diet' ice cream could have up to 68per cent more calories than you think: The skinny on frozen dessert label lies

Diet desserts have long been the weight-conscious woman's way to, quite literally, have her cake and eat it.



But a new report has revealed that so-called low-calorie ice creams and frozen yoghurts can contain as much as 68per cent more calories than the label claims.

The Today show found that a sample of Arctic Zero's Chocolate Peanut Butter flavour, which claims to have no more than 150 calories per pint, in fact contained closer to 250.

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Not-so-low-calorie: A new report on the Today show this morning claims that diet frozen desserts can contain as much as 68per cent more calories than the label claims

Another flavour from the same brand, Vanilla Maple, fared little better with 46 per cent more calories than the label claimed.

The show used a top food laboratory that employs industry-approved methods to test samples of nine different lower-calorie desserts, from an array of brands including Stonyfield, Skinny Cow, Ben & Jerry's and Weight Watchers.

Misleading: A sample of Arctic Zero's Chocolate Peanut Butter flavour (left), which claims to have no more than 150 calories per pint, in fact contained closer to 250. The Vanilla Maple flavour had 46 per cent more calories

Though several others also had higher calorie counts than their labels claimed, the rest of the desserts tested were found to be in accordance with an FDA rule that allows a 20per cent discrepancy between the label and the actual calorie content .

A sample of Weight Watchers' Ice Cream Candy Bar just scraped the limit with 16per cent more calories than its label, while the same brand's Giant Chocolate Fudge Sundae Cone had 13per cent more calories.

Today nutritionist Joy Bauer believes that the difference between the label and the content should be no more than ten per cent.

Borderline: A sample of Weight Watchers' Ice Cream Candy Bar (left) just scraped the FDA limit with 16per cent more calories than its label; the Giant Chocolate Fudge Sundae Cone had 13per cent more calories

Lower calorie: The news wasn't all bad, though. Skinny Cow's Cookies n' Cream Truffle Bar was three per cent less than the label calorie count and Ben & Jerry's Fro-Yo Half-Baked came in at five per cent under

She told the sh ow : ' It's r ight there, front and center (on the package). Buy me and you'll lose weight...

'They know they can get away with it, because the FDA allows up to 20per cent wiggle room, so you know they push the envelope a little bit. There's variation. It's upsetting, but it's legal.'

HOW DIET DESSERT LABEL CALORIE COUNTS MEASURE UP

Today used industry-approved methods to test samples of nine lower-calorie desserts. The table below reveals how each sample measures up against the claim on the label.

PRODUCT CALORIE COUNT ACCORDING TO LABEL

CALORIE DIFFERENCE FROM LABEL ACCORDING TO TODAY'S TEST

Arctic Zero Chocolate Peanut Butter

150 calories per pint 68per cent more Arctic Zero Vanilla Maple

150 calories per pint 46per cent more Ben & Jerry Fro-Yo Chocolate Fudge Brownie 180 calories per 1/2 cup (99g) serving Eight per cent more Ben & Jerry Fro-Yo Half-Baked

180 calories per 1/2 cup (99g) serving Five per cent less Skinny Cow Cookies n' Cream Truffle Bar 100 calories per bar Three per cent less Stonyfield Creme Caramel Frozen Yogurt 130 calories per 1/2 cup (85g) serving Ten per cent more Stonyfield Minty Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt 140 calories per 1/2 cup (85g) serving Four per cent less Weight Watchers Giant Chocolate Fudge Sundae cone 140 calories per cone 13per cent more Weight Watchers Ice Cream Candy Bar 150 calories per bar 16per cent more Source: Today.com

Ms Bauer was particularly horrified by Arctic Zero's claims, though.

'Shame on this company,' she said. 'People, they are eating the whole pint in one sitting. You eat that every single day... at the end of the week you have to walk an extra nine miles just to burn off those calories.'

The news wasn't all bad for sweet-toothed calorie-counters however. Three products were found to contain fewer calories than the label suggested.

Ben & Jerry's Fro-Yo Half-Baked came in at five per cent under the label count, while Skinny Cow's Cookies n' Cream Truffle Bar was three per cent less and Stonyfield Minty Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt had four per cent fewer calories.



The values for food product labels are based on the average from a test of around 12 product samples, according to the FDA.



These tests are conducted or commissioned by the food manufacturer, and not the FDA, which does not have the resources to check each company's claims. As a result, the show points out, it is difficult to establish how widespread the problem is.

Each of the brands mentioned issued a statement to Today, defending the claims.

Arctic Zero told the show that its calorie counts are accurate. The company was asked by researchers to provide its test results, however the documents remain to be seen.

Wells Enterprises, which manufactures Weight Watchers' frozen desserts said: that it 'takes the integrity of our products and their nutritional labeling very seriously.

'All of the Weight Watchers Frozen Novelty products are subjected to rigorous nutritional testing program by an accredited third party laboratory.'

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