FIC to offer new summer treats next month Jessica B. Natad

CEBU, Philippines - The Food People Inc. (TFPI), manufacturer of Fruits in Ice Cream (FIC), will introduce next month new summer treats, in addition to its menu, wherein buyers can choose their own flavor concoction.

Milkshakes, banana splits and ice cream sundaes will be FIC’s new attraction to its gourmet line, premium ice creams, FIC lite and pinoy sorbets.

“We fully conform to international standards for ice cream, which dictate that only products containing 100% milk-derived ingredients can be called “ice cream.” Unlike other brands which may use vegetable fats and non-dairy milk substitutes (casein and whey) as a cheaper substitute for milk fat and milk solids, our premium and gourmet and lite ice cream contains only natural milk ingredients from New Zealand and Australia, making Fruits in Ice Cream creamier and richer in texture and flavor,” a statement from FIC said.

To maintain its quality and export standards, TFPI makes ice cream in relatively small batches with strict production and quality control procedures. Arduous testing is done to ensure product excellence.

The company admits, though, that their products are “a little more” expensive than other same locally-made brands.

“(But) we never compromise taste for profit. When we say we use top quality ingredients, we mean it. So you may shell out a little more for our ice cream, but what you pay for is well worth the superior quality.”

Aside from serving the local market, TFPI has also been serving the international market since 1997. The company exports its tropical flavored ice cream to Japan, Canada, the United States, China, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. Our Pinoy Sorbetes line of mellorine-type ice confection is also being exported to Australia.

FIC’s gourmet line includes flavors such as pistachio, strawberry and raspberry, black sesame, butterscotch, caramel, choco mint, cranberry, durian, double Dutch while premium ice creams include cappuccino, green tea, mango, cookies n’ cream, nangkasuy and rocky road.

FIC lite on the other hand is a line of frozen dairy desserts, which contains no added sugar and only 50-percent of the fat content in regular ice cream products.

“FIC lite is not only much lower in calories, but it is also loaded with a generous douse of healthy dietary fiber. It comes in mangoes n’ cream, mixed berries, apple cinnamon, French vanilla, choco marble and café latte flavors,” according to a press release.

FIC’s Pinoy Sorbetes product line, which introduces familiar flavor interpretations of popular Filipino desserts like banana Q and mangga’t suman. Regular offers are tsokonut, kape’t gatas, melon, munggo and ube Pinoy flavors while Pinoy Sorbetes Espesyal offers avocado, queso, guinumis, tsoko pinipig, mangga’t suman, banana Q, halo-halo flavors. It also comes in fat-free flavors like buko sorbetto, calamansi, mango sorbetto and guyabano.

TFPI began operations in July 1997. Composed of former key managers from the Philippines’ largest food and beverage conglomerate, the group has a collective experience of more than two decades in the international and domestic ice cream business.

FIC products are available in Ayala Center Cebu, SM City Cebu and at the Cebu Country Club.