Videos showing Chicecream’s ice creams staying solid when lighters were held to them went viral, revealing they did not fully melt when left in a 31°C room for an hour or were exposed to direct flame.

The footage sparked consternation online, prompting users to question the company’s high prices and whether the products were overloaded with additives. The most expensive offering of Chicecream – called “Zhong Xue Gao” – costs 66 yuan (RM44).

The company yesterday insisted its products were in line with national food-safety regulations. “We believe it is not scientific to judge the quality of ice cream by baking, drying or heating [it],” the brand said in a Weibo post that scooped over 168,000 likes.

AFP could not verify the videos, and the stabilisers – a food additive used to preserve structure – commonly used in mass-produced ice creams have been widely approved for use, including by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Wang Silu, a senior national food inspector, also said the products used to thicken the ice cream were safe.

Chicecream has promoted itself as a Chinese alternative to Western brands such as Magnum and Haagen-Dazs, using supposedly natural ingredients and locally inspired product designs.