Wink frozen desserts offer one-two punch of allergen-friendly and better-for-you, founder says

By Elizabeth Crawford

- Last updated on GMT

Wink frozen desserts offer allergen-friendly and better-for-you

Related tags Ice cream Milk

Consumers with food sensitivities often face an unenviable choice in the frozen dessert aisle: Buy something that could trigger a reaction, or opt for an allergy-friendly product loaded with more calories, fat and sugar than conventional ice cream, according to the CEO and founder of Wink frozen desserts. 

As a self-proclaimed “ice cream lover to the core,”​ Gabe Wolff explained to FoodNavigator-USA at the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in Boston in mid-October that he first faced this Sophie’s choice when he was diagnosed with celiac disease and a dairy allergy at 17 years old.

“I had to completely revamp the way I eat. I had to start reading ingredient labels for the first time and that was when I realized there was a big hole in the ice cream market,”​ he said.

While he acknowledges there are a lot of non-dairy substitutes in the frozen dessert aisle, he complains when soy milk or almond milk are used instead of dairy milk manufacturers have to add a lot of extra sugar solids, fat and artificial flavors to make them more palatable and as creamy as conventional options.

For someone like Wolff, who struggled with his weight growing up, these were not acceptable tradeoffs, he said.  

So, he said, he “started playing around in the kitchen and out came Wink.”

On trend and allergen-free ingredients

Wink is a plant-based frozen dessert that uses non-GMO pea protein flour as its base, which allows it to be free from the top eight food allergens and is more easily digested by those who struggle with dairy and whey protein, according to the company website.

Next, Wink blends in vegetable glycerin sourced from palm trees, rather than soybean or coconut oils, which are common allergens.

Rather than high-calorie sugar, Wink uses organic stevia extract and monk fruit extract, which has the added benefit of being low glycemic, extending the brand's reach to those managing diabetes. To compensate for the bulk that sugar solids often provide in frozen desserts, Wolff said he adds organic agave inulin, which also has been show to benefit healthy bacteria in the large intestine.

The fact that the frozen dessert is sugar-free likely also will expand its appeal beyond those with allergies given Americans’ rising concern about sugar​ consumption. 

Other gluten-free and allergy friendly thickeners in the frozen dessert include organic tapioca flour and xanthan gum. Cognizant that some consumers might be fearful of these unfamiliar ingredients, Wolff explains their origin and purpose on Wink’s website.

Wink also uses natural flavors to cover up the taste of the pea protein, and other ingredients, and make it so that consumers don’t feel like they are sacrificing taste by opting for a better-for-you alternative.

These include twists on classic ice cream flavors, such as Vanilla Bean, Choco-mint, Cocoa-dough and Iced Latte. More innovative flavors include Cake Batter and Cinnamon Bun, and four new flavors, including Peanut Butter & Jelly, Black Cherry Cacao Nib, Strawberry Cheesecake and, just in time for fall, Caramel Candy Apple.

Related news

Show more

Related products

show more

Consumer Attitudes on Ultra-Processed Foods Revealed

Consumer Attitudes on Ultra-Processed Foods Revealed

Content provided by Ayana Bio | 12-Jan-2024 | White Paper

Ayana Bio conducted the Ultra-Processed Food (UPF) Pulse survey, offering insight into consumers’ willingness to consume UPFs, as well as the variables...

Future Food-Tech San Francisco, March 21-22, 2024

Future Food-Tech San Francisco, March 21-22, 2024

Content provided by Rethink Events Ltd | 11-Jan-2024 | Event Programme

Future Food-Tech is the go-to meeting place for the food-tech industry to collaborate towards a healthier food system for people and planet.

Palate Predictions: Top Flavor Trends for 2024

Palate Predictions: Top Flavor Trends for 2024

Content provided by T. Hasegawa USA | 08-Jan-2024 | Application Note

As consumers seek increased value and experience from food and beverages, the industry relies on research to predict category trends. Studying trends that...

Oat Groats – Heat-treated Oat Kernels

Oat Groats – Heat-treated Oat Kernels

Content provided by Lantmännen Biorefineries AB | 06-Dec-2023 | Product Brochure

Lantmännen offers now Oat Groats: Heat-treated oat kernels, also known as oat groats or kilned oats, undergo heat treatment to inhibit enzymes that could...

Related suppliers

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars