Changes

The key change to ice cream was improvement in electrified refrigeration that spread after World War II globally. While throughout the 20th century ice cream's popularity spread, including the development of various flavors and types, such as the banana split (introduced in 1904). Another important innovation was the use of more air in the cream and ice mixture, that created a "softer" looking ice cream or what we call soft ice cream that is popular today. The Ice Cream company Dairy Queen seems to have brought this innovation. Seaweed and other agents are still used for thickening; agar is now more commonly used in as an emulsifier or help give ice cream a greater consistency.