Is Frozen Custard Pasteurized? Understanding the Facts About This Creamy Dessert

November 12, 2025 •

4 min read

By law, frozen custard contains a minimum of 1.4% pasteurized egg yolks, a requirement set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This key detail confirms that all commercially produced frozen custard is, in fact, pasteurized for safety and quality.

Quick Summary

Commercially produced frozen custard undergoes a pasteurization process to ensure food safety. The raw mix containing dairy and eggs is heated to specific temperatures, killing harmful bacteria while improving texture and shelf life.

Key Points

Mandatory Pasteurization: Yes, all commercially produced frozen custard is required by the FDA to be pasteurized to eliminate harmful bacteria.
Egg Yolks Require Safety Measures: The defining ingredient of frozen custard, egg yolks, necessitates specific pasteurization standards to ensure a safe product.
Higher Temperature Process: The richer, thicker custard mix requires a more intensive heat treatment than standard milk to achieve proper pasteurization.
Ensures Safe and Smooth Texture: Pasteurization not only kills pathogens but also improves the mix's texture, contributing to the signature smoothness of the final product.
Regulated by the FDA: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sets specific standards for the composition and pasteurization of frozen custard.
Contrasts with Standard Ice Cream: Unlike frozen custard, ice cream does not require egg yolks, leading to differences in pasteurization needs, texture, and density.

The Short Answer: Yes, Commercially Produced Frozen Custard Is Pasteurized

For anyone enjoying a scoop of this dense and creamy treat, the most important fact to know is that frozen custard sold commercially is indeed pasteurized. The pasteurization process is a critical step in its production, not only to ensure food safety by eliminating harmful bacteria but also to contribute to its rich, smooth texture. This is especially important for frozen custard because its recipe, unlike standard ice cream, mandates the inclusion of egg yolks, an ingredient that carries a risk of pathogens if not properly heated.

Why Pasteurization is Required for Frozen Custard

Frozen custard differs from ice cream primarily due to its egg yolk content. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a product must contain at least 1.4% egg yolk solids to be officially classified as frozen custard. These eggs, just like the milk and cream used, must be pasteurized to be safe for human consumption. This high-fat, high-solids mix requires a more intensive pasteurization treatment than regular milk to ensure all pathogens are eliminated effectively. Without this process, consuming frozen custard would pose a significant health risk from bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli.

The Pasteurization Process for Custard

The commercial production of frozen custard follows a multi-step process to ensure safety and quality. The heat treatment is specifically designed for the custard mix's unique properties.

Mixing Ingredients: Dairy (milk, cream), sugar, and pasteurized egg yolks are combined to create the liquid custard base.
Heating (Pasteurization): The mix is heated to a specific temperature for a set time. The FDA mandates heating to at least 155°F for 30 minutes, or a higher temperature of 175°F for 25 seconds. This higher requirement is necessary to fully treat the thicker, richer mix.
Homogenization: Immediately after heating, the mix is pushed through a homogenizer under high pressure. This breaks down fat globules, preventing separation and creating the incredibly smooth, creamy texture frozen custard is known for.
Rapid Cooling: The mix is rapidly chilled to a cold temperature, typically below 40°F, to prevent bacterial regrowth.
Aging: The chilled mix is held in aging tanks for several hours. This allows the milk proteins and stabilizers to fully hydrate and improve the overall texture and body of the final product.
Freezing and Churning: The aged mix is frozen and churned in a special machine. Unlike regular ice cream, frozen custard is churned with very little air (known as overrun), which results in a denser, richer product.
Serving: The final product is often served fresh from the machine at a slightly warmer temperature than traditional ice cream.

Frozen Custard vs. Ice Cream: A Comparison

To better understand the differences that necessitate careful pasteurization for custard, a side-by-side comparison is helpful.


Feature	Frozen Custard	Ice Cream
Key Differentiating Ingredient	Mandatory 1.4% egg yolk solids	Optional egg yolks (often used as stabilizers)
Pasteurization Standard	Requires higher heat/time due to egg and fat content	Uses standard dairy pasteurization temperatures
Overrun (Air Content)	Very low (approx. 20%)	Higher (up to 100%)
Texture	Dense, rich, and velvety due to egg yolks and low overrun	Lighter and fluffier due to higher air content
Serving Temperature	Warmer (around 18°F) for ideal consistency	Colder (around 10°F) to prevent quick melting
Freshness	Best when eaten fresh after being churned	Can be enjoyed over a longer period after production

How FDA Regulations Ensure Frozen Custard Safety

Beyond simply requiring pasteurization, the FDA sets specific standards to define and regulate frozen custard. These food identity standards are outlined in Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 135. These rules dictate the minimum butterfat content (10%) and, most importantly, the minimum egg yolk solids (1.4%). This regulatory framework provides a critical layer of consumer protection, guaranteeing a safe, consistent product from any reputable manufacturer.

For example, the higher pasteurization temperatures and times for custard mix are crucial because the added egg yolks, fats, and sugars increase the viscosity of the base. This thicker consistency means heat penetrates more slowly, requiring more time or higher temperatures to effectively kill all pathogens, including heat-resistant varieties. The strict adherence to these established pasteurization parameters is what allows consumers to enjoy frozen custard worry-free.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the question, 'Is frozen custard pasteurized?' can be answered with a confident yes. The process is not a matter of choice for commercial producers but a legal necessity defined by the FDA. The required pasteurization of its dairy and egg ingredients ensures a safe product, while the careful temperature controls and low-overrun churning contribute to the signature rich and dense texture that distinguishes frozen custard from other frozen desserts. So, the next time you enjoy a creamy cup or cone, you can appreciate that a precise, safety-focused process made it possible. For more detailed information on federal regulations for frozen desserts, you can consult the official eCFR documentation(https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-135).

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Federal law in the United States, as enforced by the FDA, mandates that all commercial frozen custard must be made from a pasteurized mix to ensure food safety.

The presence of egg yolks and higher butterfat and solids content in the custard mix makes it thicker and more viscous. This requires higher temperatures and longer holding times during pasteurization to ensure heat fully penetrates and eliminates pathogens.

No, it is not recommended to use raw or unpasteurized eggs for homemade frozen custard due to the risk of Salmonella and other foodborne illnesses. Always use pasteurized eggs or a heat-treated egg product when preparing homemade custard.

The U.S. FDA mandates that to be labeled as frozen custard, the product must contain a minimum of 1.4% egg yolk solids by weight. This is a key legal and culinary distinction from ice cream.

Pasteurization is designed to eliminate harmful bacteria without significantly altering the flavor or nutritional value of dairy products. For custard, it ensures a clean, consistent flavor profile by inactivating unwanted enzymes that can cause off-tastes.

While most commercially produced ice cream is pasteurized, some specialty or artisanal varieties may use unpasteurized milk. However, all FDA-regulated frozen desserts using a dairy base must be pasteurized for safety.

Pasteurized eggs have been briefly heated in their shells to kill bacteria, making them safer for use in recipes that do not require cooking, like dressings or, in this case, custard mixes before final heating. Regular eggs have not gone through this process.

By breaking down and emulsifying fat globules and hydrating proteins during the heating and homogenization process, pasteurization helps create the stable, incredibly smooth, and creamy texture that frozen custard is known for.