The popularity of ice cream is rocketing among Turkish people and the ice cream sector is reaping the benefits: Projected increase in consumption of ice cream per liter during both 2007 and 2008 is 15 percent
Until very recently ice cream production had been limited to households, confectionary stores and hotels but after industrial brands entered the market, growth in the ice cream sector has picked up. Indeed, ice cream manufacturers are now very much engaged in multi-product businesses and offering a diversified product portfolio, a development that contributes further to the sector.
Turkey”s ice cream market, reached $650 million in late 2005, and showed a growth of 30 percent in 2006 to reach an annual sum of $850 million. About 75 percent of this business came from factory-made ice cream while the remaining 25 percent came from ice cream vendors, according to data provided by Algida, one of the leaders in the global ice cream industry.
Again, in 2006 the per litre consumption of ice cream increased by 29 percent. The projected increase during both 2007 and 2008 is 15 percent, taking the sector past the $1 billion mark. The market share of industrially produced ice cream is expected to hit 80 percent.
But compared to other developed countries Turkey”s ice cream production remains low. Turkish people consume 1.6 litres per capita annually. The United States consumes 25 litres per capita annually while northern countries such as Norway consume 13-14 litres a year. The European average is seven litres.
This is seen as a result of the many false legends about ice cream consumption in Turkey. Mothers will not feed their children ice cream in the winter fearing they will fall ill. Many parents also believe that ice cream leads to upper respiratory tract infections such as sore throat. On the contrary, ice cream produced in a hygienic environment has no such effect, doctors say.
Low consumption in Turkey is not limited to ice cream. Almost all foodstuffs are consumed five-seven times less here than in other developed countries. Ice cream falls around the six times less mark. However this is expected to be offset by the increasingly young population, as younger people tend to eat ice cream more often.
Climate has no major impact on sales
Climate and high temperatures are not among factors that increase ice cream consumption because temporary alterations in temperature do not change eating habits.
“90 percent of sales in the ice cream market take place between May and October. The sales relatively decrease under extremely high temperatures which make consumers unwilling to go out,” Algida Marketing Director Şükrü Dinçer told the TDN. He said no major difference had been observed in the sales for Algida ice cream between 2006 and 2007.
Industrial brands in the ice cream sector including Algida and Panda are enriching their menus every year, blending the taste of ice cream taste with traditional tastes and creating new products for all age groups. For example, Algida had 15 products in its portfolio in 1990 and this number currently stands at 133. The company adds 23 new products to its menu annually.
Furthermore, ice cream producers have begun to list healthy eating habits on their ice cream boxes to avoid health problems stemming from overindulgence. They also offer special menus for children and diet ice cream for diabetic people in which fat and sugar rates are far below average.
History of ice cream
The Chinese invented ice cream in the first millennium B.C. iced drinks have been prevalent in Asia for thousands of years. Alexander the Great was a fan of iced nectar in the fourth century B.C. Roman Emperor Nero would have slaves gather ice from nearby mountains for his chilled drinks. Marco Polo introduced ice cream to the West in 1296 after he returned from China.
In the mid-17th century a new method was discovered in ice production, which contributed to the development of ice cream. Jacob Fussell from Baltimore developed modern ice cream in 1851. An Italian man, Italo Marchioni, developed the first ice cream cone in New York in 1876. It was not until 1920 that ice cream as we know it, in bars, boxed and the like, became commonplace.
Domestic news –Resource: Turkish Daily news
