Dietitian reveals 'scary' chemicals behind Nestle's Drumstick ice cream that miraculously doesn't melt

Social media users have been left puzzled by a disturbing video showing a popular ice cream failing to melt - even after being left in the heat for more than a day.

The clip, which has amassed 20 million views, features a Drumstick ice cream cone sitting on a stand beside a young woman, which is said to have been in place for 24 hours. 

The woman waves the flame of a lighter around the sweet treat, but even this fails to alter the consistency of the ice cream or chocolate coating. 

Hundreds of viewers took to TikTok to share DIY experiments in which they leave unpackaged Drumsticks out in warm temperatures and monitor how quickly the product melts. 

Commenters described the stiff, white cream as 'scary', while another called the chemicals that are packed inside the ice cream, 'poison.'  

Now, a top dietitian has revealed the long list of artificial additives that are responsible for this freaky effect.

Drumstick, which is made by Nestle, posted a video earlier this year showing a time lapse of a woman studying while her ice cream fails to melt, even when she waves a lighter near it

The video led TikTokers to conduct 'melt tests.' One user, Oliver (left), showed off his ice cream after 22 hours sitting out. Another (right) likened the consistency after 24 hours to Cool Whip

Abbey Sharp, a mythbusting dietitian with over 800,000 TikTok followers, has explained that a mixture of emulsifiers, additives and other chemicals that food manufactuers use help bind ingredients are to blame.

These are common in ultra-processed foods like microwave meals, white bread, and dressings. 

'You can find these additives in less premium ice cream products because they help manufacturers use less of the really pricey ingredients like the cream and more air while keeping everything fluffy and together,' Ms Sharp said. 

'Emulsifiers and gums are particularly important for something like pre-formed ice cream cone or an ice cream sandwich where it has to hold a specific shape.'

However, Ms Sharp said that putting ice cream to a melt test to see if it holds together 'would be a waste of a perfectly good Drumstick.'  

Dietitian Abbey Sharp said that Drumsticks might not quickly melt because they contain additives called emulsifiers, which some studies have linked to weight changes and diabetes. Ms Sharp advised practicing moderation and not letting the 'meltability' change how healthy the ice cream is

Emulsifiers are additives typically used to help mix substances like oil and water and keep foods held together

'Unless you have a specific sensitivity to some of these additives like gums, as we see with some types of IBS, the meltability of your ice cream shouldn't, like, give it a health halo.' 

Some evidence has suggested that eating foods with emulsifiers can lead to adverse health consequences.

A Spanish study in mice, for instance, looked at the emulsifiers carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80, which are found in thousands of microwave meals, butters, and ice creams. 

READ MORE: Common additive found in ice cream and microwave meals may raise risk of health problems in kids, study warns 

Eating an additive commonly found in ultra-processed foods during pregnancy may raise the risk of health problems in children, scientists say. 

A group of pregnant female mice were given water containing one percent emulsifiers, the maximum allowed by the FDA. 

Usually, anywhere from 0.25 percent to 0.8 percent is added to food.

The team found that the mice's offspring experienced unintentional weight loss and anxious behaviors at 10 weeks old.

Additionally, male mice were more likely to have weight loss, while females experienced anxiety more often.

This is because the emulsifiers disturbed neural connections in the hypothalamus, a brain structure that acts as the body's control center. 

The hypothalamus produces leptin, a hormone that makes the body expend more energy, leading to weight loss.

And a large French study of 100,000 adults published in The Lancet earlier this month suggested that continued exposure to emulsifiers raised the risk of type 2 diabetes. 

'Further research is needed to prompt re-evaluation of regulations governing the use of additive emulsifiers in the food industry for better consumer protection,' the team wrote. 

Ms Sharp noted because of findings like these surrounding processed foods, moderation is key. 

'Ice cream with or without additives is not a health food. It's meant to be enjoyed in moderation because it brings you joy,' she said.

'Choose the ice cream that brings you the most joy, and for f*** sake, don't leave it on the counter overnight.'