BEIJING, July 7, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - A Chinese brand once dubbed the "Hermes of
ice cream" has come under fire after internet users said some of its products
do not melt -- even when baked with a blowtorch.

Videos showing Chicecream's ice creams staying solid when lighters were held
to them went viral, revealing they did not fully melt when left in a 31
degree Celsius (88 degree Fahrenheit) room for an hour or under a very hot
flame.

The footage sparked consternation online, prompting users to question the
company's high prices and whether the products were overloaded with
additives. The most expensive offering of Chicecream -- called "Zhong Xue
Gao" in Chinese -- costs 66 yuan ($10).

The company said Wednesday that its products were in line with national food
safety regulations.

"We believe that it is not scientific to judge the quality of ice cream by
baking, drying or heating ice cream," the brand said in a Weibo post that
scooped up over 168,000 likes.

AFP could not verify the videos, and the stabilisers -- a food additive used
to preserve structure -- commonly used in mass-produced ice creams have been
widely approved for use, including by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Wang Silu, a senior national food inspector, also said the products used to
thicken the ice cream were safe.

Chicecream has promoted itself as a Chinese alternative to Western brands
such as Magnum and Haagen-Dazs, using supposedly natural ingredients and
locally-inspired product designs.