The Magnum Ice Cream Company is experimenting with glow-in-the-dark ice pops, AI-equipped freezers, protein-rich products and new manufacturing techniques as it looks for ways to manage rising costs and changing consumer tastes. The company, which was spun off from Unilever in 2025, owns brands including Magnum, Cornetto, Twister, Solero and Ben & Jerry’s.
One of its more unusual products is Hydro:ICE, a kiwi and lemon ice pop first introduced in Ibiza. The dairy-free product contains vitamin C, vitamin B2 and magnesium, with vitamin B2 helping create a fluorescent effect under ultraviolet lighting.
The product reflects a wider push to develop new formats while the industry deals with volatile prices for dairy, cocoa, sugar, fruit and energy. Magnum is also looking for savings in less visible parts of its operations, including refrigeration.
AI Helps Magnum Monitor Millions of Freezers
Magnum operates around three million branded freezers globally, and some are equipped with cameras that send images to data centers. AI systems can identify individual products and use depth information to estimate remaining inventory, helping determine when a freezer needs to be restocked.
The company has also reduced the energy consumption of newer freezer models. Chief research, design and innovation officer Zbigniew Lewicki said current freezers are about 40% more efficient than those used in 2010, lowering one of the major costs associated with storing and selling ice cream.
Magnum has also been using AI elsewhere in product development. In 2025, the company partnered with NotCo to use AI for tasks including reformulating products, reducing sugar, developing plant-based alternatives and responding to rising ingredient costs.
Asia Influences New Flavors and Formats
Lewicki has pointed to China, Japan and South Korea as important sources of new ice cream ideas. One example is Volcanics, a multilayered product combining a chocolate shell, biscuit pieces, chocolate and vanilla ice cream and a caramel center, which Magnum has expanded into several markets.
Consumer research company MMR has also highlighted China as a major source of food innovation, where manufacturers are experimenting with unconventional flavors and formats. Chinese ice cream products have incorporated ingredients ranging from tahini and pickled garlic to alcohol and savory foods.
Health-related products are developing alongside those flavor experiments. Mintel says protein, fiber and other nutrient-dense ingredients are increasingly appearing in foods targeted toward consumers influenced by GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and changing attitudes toward portion size.
At Magnum’s research center near Bedford, development also extends to its traditional chocolate-coated bars. Researchers use a robot called Eric to collect measurements around the clock as they test factors such as chocolate viscosity and the texture of the coating.
Featured image credits: 1000logos
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