Under the Food Labelling Regulations (1996) products called ‘ice cream’ sold in the UK had to contain at least 5% fat and 2.5% milk protein. As a consequence, firms making significant reductions in fat were forced to use terms such as ‘iced desserts’.

Elsewhere in Europe, however, such rules did not apply, with firms typically adhering to the European Ice Cream Association’s (Euroglace) code of practice.

There is a standing and widely respected voluntary agreement, the European Ice Cream Association’s (Euroglaces) ‘Code for Edible Ices’2 which can take the place of the mandatory national measures, providing industry with the flexibility it requires to be able to bring new products to market and meet consumer expectations.

Euroglace does not include a minimum requirement for milk protein content or fat content in non-dairy ice cream. However dairy ice cream still had to have 5% fat from a dairy source, but there is no minimum requirement for milk protein other than it must come from a dairy source.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/330785/food-information-regs-sum-resp-2014.pdf