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A good ice cream parlour must have more than just good ice cream
Quality ingredients, no artificial colouring and hydrogenated fats. These are the main features of a great ice cream. But what makes an ice cream parlour “good”, i.e. sustainable?
Issues relating to sustainability are also a concern in the world of ice cream parlours. These aren’t confined to the ice cream itself, but also the ingredients and production processes employed, as well as the choice of furniture and packaging in which products are served and presented. An “eco-friendly ice cream parlour” uses organic products that respect the environment, avoiding pesticide use, and favours locally sourced ingredients that circumvent the costs and pollution caused by transportation, in addition to supporting the local economy. Synthetic ingredients, palm oil and GMOs are excluded, while products grown according to environmental and social values are privileged. A sustainable ice cream parlour should have a production site that uses renewable energy and pays close attention to the consumption (and therefore waste) of resources such as water. We should also look at the cups, spoons and napkins used: are they biodegradable and reusable? Is the parlour’s furniture made with eco-friendly materials? Finally, it mustn’t be forgotten that sustainability also concerns social aspects, not only environmental ones.
Libera, Organic, Vegan: Galatea’s excellent ice cream
Galatea, Italian company specialised in the production of semi-finished products for ice creams and artisanal pastry, takes many of these aspects into consideration. The certified product line Libera (which means “free” in Italian) doesn’t contain emulsifiers, palm oil or artificial flavours and colours. Natural ingredients are used instead, communicated through “clean” labels that are clear, understandable and free from ambiguous terms (the original revolutionary product in this sense was Spirulì, the first naturally light blue ice cream thanks to spirulina algae). The Organic line is also produced only with certified ingredients, natural flavours and organic plant-based concentrates. The Vegan line is also certified. The qualities of the semi-finished products are then reflected in the ice creams they’re used to make, contributing to the “goodness” of parlours that use Galatea products.
An ice cream that isn’t only good for the environment
Companies that choose Galatea are provided with all the necessary materials to serve ice cream to be consumed on the stop or taken away. These include cups and tubs made with biodegradable and compostable materials, taste labels, napkins and bags in FSC-certified paper. Galatea also provides useful tools to inform customers as to the ice cream’s quality, such as posters and postcards. Furthermore, it ensures all parlours are given visibility on its website, which is constantly updated. Its motto? #imnaturallygood.
Sustainability also has a social dimension, as mentioned: in accordance with the ethical principles certified by Valore Sociale, organisation that promotes CSR values, Galatea collaborates with the Valemour brand (whose mission is to facilitate the employment of people affected by Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities). Through this non-profit initiative, ice cream parlours can purchase aprons that are custom made by the young people the cooperative works with.
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We’re talking about Galatea, a company that produces semi-finished products for artisanal ice creams using high quality ingredients, natural colouring, excluding thickeners and hydrogenated fats, respecting the environment and supporting the less fortunate.
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