Did you know.......

• Total U.S. production of ice cream and related frozen desserts in 2004 amounted to about 1.6 billion gallons, translating to about 21.5 quarts per person. Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
  
  
• The top five individual flavors in terms of share of segment in the United States are: vanilla (33%), chocolate flavors (19%), nut/caramel flavors (7%), Neapolitan (5%), and strawberry (4%). Source: The NPD Group's National Eating Trends Services/USA Today
  
  
• Ice cream and related frozen desserts are consumed by more than 90% of households in the United States. Source: Mintel
  
  
• July is NATIONAL ICE CREAM MONTH.  In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day. He recognized ice cream as a fun and nutritious food that is enjoyed by a full 90% of the nation's population. In the proclamation, President Reagan called for all people of the United States to observe these events with "appropriate ceremonies and activities."
  
  
• According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the biggest ice cream sundae in the world was made in Alberta, Canada, in 1988. It weighed nearly 55,000 pounds.
  
  
• The first ice cream parlor in this country opened in New York City in 1776.
  
  
• While popular lore claims that the ice cream cone was invented at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, a New York City ice cream vendor actually seems to have created the cone in 1896 to stop customers from stealing his serving glasses. He patented the idea in 1903 and it took off in popularity at the World's Fair the next year.