SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART V 345 



ICE CREAM. 



The manufacturers of ice cream have made rapid progress during 

 the year. The season previous was a very unfavorable one for this 

 important industry, but the past summer afforded seasonable con- 

 ditions leaving little further to be desired. 



The state may feel proud of the rapid progress made by many 

 of our ice cream manufacturers as regards the sanitation of their 

 plants and the improved methods instituted for handling both raw 

 and manufactured products. 



Our state statutes several years ago defined ice cream and 

 established for it a minimum fat content. This standard has been 

 earnestly complied with by our Iowa manufacturers and has resulted 

 in a standardization of the ice cream business. 



The manufacture of ice cream of uniform quality and of definite 

 food value has secured for it the confidence of the consuming public. 

 Ice cream has rightly become a staple article of food for summer 

 consumption both as a toothsome edible and as a substitute for the 

 many less digestible dishes served as a noon lunch or as a part of 

 the regular meal. That the public appreciates this situation is 

 attested by the fact that the historj^ of the ice cream industry is 

 one of ever increasing output. 



The production for last year was 5,318,100 gallons. This pro- 

 duction which is 2,896,613 gallons greater than the previous year 

 shows a per capita consumption of about 2 1-3 gallons. 



Since the copy for this report was turned over to the state printer, 

 the United States Supreme Court has decided the case which 

 originated several years ago relative to the state standard for ice 

 cream. 



The decision of the court is to the effect that the General As- 

 sembly not only has the right to set standards for food products 

 sold in this state, but that the present state standard of a minimum 

 of 12% of milk fat in ice cream is a fair and just standard. We 

 are glad that this matter has been disposed of, as it has occupied 

 considerable time in the courts and has cost the state and the man 

 ufacturers who chose to contest the law, considerable money. I be- 

 lieve that at the time the case occupied the attention of the lower 

 courts that the manufacturers believed they were in the right and 

 that the 12% standard was too high. Since that time, however, 

 they have seen the ice cream industry grow as a result of public 

 confidence in a product of so high a quality as that now manu- 

 factured in this state. I believe that none of our manufacturers 

 would now welcome a loAver standard. 



