Sumber : nytimes.com. 10 Juli 2023

Dairy-free ice cream gained a foothold in the commercial market, its flavors were limited, its texture was often watery and its taste could be questionable.

Today, many of these ice creams are smooth and creamy. They can twirl like soft serve and pack into scoops for waffle cones. And the options for both soft and hard versions have vastly improved as the plant-based milk and creamers used to make them have gotten better.

Sales of plant-based foods in the United States surged in 2020, when the pandemic got many people thinking harder about their health, according to the Plant Based Foods Association, a trade group representing more than 350 plant-based food companies. Many turned to eating nondairy ice cream, which accounted for $437 million in sales last year.

The industry is still growing, but at a slower rate, said Julie Emmett, the vice president of marketplace and development for the trade association. Consumer research from the trade group also indicated that people who don’t eat vegan or vegetarian diets tend to prefer brands that use the phrase “plant-based” to describe alternatives to dairy ice cream, Ms. Emmett said. The term “vegan,”