Walmart recently came under fire for their ice cream sandwiches, because they apparently do not melt. People flocked to YouTube to document their ‘unmelting’ desserts, claiming that their solid state must be proof of dangerous chemicals and preservatives used in their manufacturing process. So really: why don't ice cream sandwiches melt?
The official Walmart statement claims that ‘ice cream with more cream will generally melt at a slower rate, which is the case with our Great Value ice cream sandwiches’, which is generally true, but more to blame for the lack of a melty mess are the gum products added to the treat. Guar gum, cellulose gum, and xanthan gum all act as emulsifiers, thickening the water in the ice cream. They are why the ice cream in ice cream sandwiches doesn’t really feel like normal ice cream (it’s thicker and chewier) and why they take much longer to melt (but they will eventually melt, rest assured).
