Can ice cream go bad?

Ice cream never lasts in our fridge, but if it did it could become inedible. Ice cream doesn’t go bad like other foods though. The bacteria that spoil food don’t grow in the cold temperatures of a freezer. The texture of ice cream can change if the ice cream is left long enough though. The longer ice cream is left in the freezer, the larger the ice crystals grow. When this happens the ice cream loses its smooth, creamy texture.

If a half-empty container is left for a while, other changes can occur. The solid ice in the ice cream changes into water vapour. Some of the solids, including “gums” added to thicken the ice cream, are left behind. They can make a yucky, gooey layer on the surface of the ice cream. The solution? Don’t leave ice cream in your freezer for too long!