Why is Chocolate Chip Ice Cream So Hard to Find Anymore?

Summer has arrived and it's time to enjoy ice cream!

Have you noticed the ice cream selections in your local supermarket freezer these days?

Pretty fancy, particularly if you are a fan of chocolate or vanilla.

This isn't a discussion of what your favorite ice cream flavor says about you. It is just an observation that a particular variety has apparently fallen out of favor.

No less an authority than the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) reports that good ole' fashioned Chocolate Chip, the vanilla version with chips or flakes of chocolate is no longer a top ten seller, even though it's still popular with Americans (see photo gallery below). It has been relegated to seasonal sales during summer in selected markets and by a limited number of producers.

ABC News and the NY Times both reported the public is saying "meh" when it comes to Chocolate Chip ice cream. Americans are choosing Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Cholate Chip, even Mint Chocolate Chip. But traditional Chocolate Chip, not so much.

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It seems Cookies and Cream is the new Chocolate Chip. The IDFA says Cookies and Cream and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough rank in the Top 5 sellers so maybe Chocolate Chip fans have moved on to other choices? I for one miss the it.

So next time you open the ice cream display case at the grocery store, check out the myriad of flavors; Banana pudding, Chocolate fudge brownie, Salted caramel, Cherry Garcia, Dr Pepper Float, Black Raspberry Chocolate Chunk, Wild Huckleberry or White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl, test my theory and look for the plain ole' Chocolate Chip.

Good luck spotting a pint in the case. While I'm on my soap box. What happened to the 1/2 gallon size container? Oh yeah, shrinkflation. It's like a 1/3 of a gallon now. right?