Wait, Nestle’s Drumsticks don’t melt? TikTok is confused, but here’s the reason why

So, Nestle’s Drumsticks don’t melt? It’s true.

And there’s an actual science behind why, along with a clue on the packaging.

In February, Drumsticks’ official TikTok page posted a cheeky video depicting a student “studying until my Drumstick melts.” The video, which shows the cone not budging even in the presence of fire, has garnered more than 20.1 million views as of April 23 — and some confused TikTok users.

Drumsticks tend to be the star of the ice cream section at grocery stores, but the decadent dessert isn’t actually ice cream.

They’re even marked on the label as “frozen dairy dessert cones,” according to an April 18 Instagram video posted by @Foodsciencebabe.

The Food and Drug Administration has a list of foods under its standards of identity sector on its website. For a food to be classified as ice cream, it needs to contain certain ingredients, and Drumsticks don’t fall within that category.

Drumsticks have stabilizers, which are used to thicken water, according to an Instagram video by @Foodsciencebabe, a chemical engineer and food scientist.

The video goes on to say stabilizers, like guar gum used in Drumsticks, are used in ice cream cones as a way to slow down the melting process during their transport and to help them keep their structural integrity.

“Not only will it melt slower, but it’ll melt differently too due to the high solids and the stabilizers that bind up the water,” she said.

Regular ice cream has more stable fat than a Drumstick, biomedical engineer @Savdoesmakeup said in TikTok posted on April 13. The Drumstick also has more of an emulsifier, an additive that helps stabilize processed foods, that helps the oil and water contents mix together, allowing the Drumstick to last longer without melting.

The higher the fat rate is in ice cream helps determine its melting rate, according to a study done by the Ohio State University. When a stabilizer is added to ice cream, it affects how the fat gathers and changes the structure.

McClatchy News reached out to Nestle for comment on April 23 and was awaiting a response.

The comments on Drumstick’s TikTok were flooded with users joking with one saying, “Legends say she’s still studying to this very day.”

“I miss the old days when ice cream actually melted,” another said.

This story was originally published April 23, 2024 at 4:34 PM with the headline "Wait, Nestle’s Drumsticks don’t melt? TikTok is confused, but here’s the reason why."