The National Ice Cream Retailers Association held its 79th Annual Meeting and Convention Nov. 7-10 at the Embassy Suites in Greenville, South Carolina. Several of the association's members are dairy farmers who opened ice cream stores on their farms as a way to supplement their income. Two of these producers – Jim Mitchell of Woodside Farm Creamery in Delaware and Carl Chaney of Chaney's Dairy Barn in Kentucky – won awards in the association's annual Ice Cream Clinic Review.
During this year's Ice Cream Clinic Review, Johnny McGregor of Clemson University analyzed samples of vanilla, chocolate and dark chocolate ice cream submitted by members of the association.A total of 20 vanilla samples, 10 chocolate and 4 dark chocolate samples were submitted. Next year the Ice Cream Clinic Review will examine vanilla and strawberry ice cream.
The ice cream is scored according to color, texture, taste, bacterial count and many other factors. Blue ribbons are awarded to those scoring the highest marks, followed by red and white ribbons. PD
—From National Ice Cream Retailers Association news release
