♪
Narrator:
SEVERAL AMERICAN TOWNS CLAIM TO
BE THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE SUNDAE.
SUNDAES FIRST APPEARED
IN THE 1880s,
WHEN THE SALE OF ICE CREAM SODAS
WAS BANNED ON SUNDAYS.
INSTEAD, SODA-FOUNTAIN OPERATORS
POURED SODA SYRUP ON ICE CREAM,
ADDED TOPPINGS, AND CALLED
THIS NEW TREAT THE SUNDAE.
♪
TODAY, ICE CREAM SUNDAES COME
PRE-MADE AND FROZEN
IN INDIVIDUAL SERVINGS.
THERE'S NO NEED TO WAIT.
THIS DECADENT DESSERT CAN BE
SERVED UP IN AN INSTANT.
AT THE SUNDAE FACTORY,
PRODUCTIONS STARTS
WITH SOMETHING CALLED
THE WHITE BASE MIX.
IT'S A PASTEURIZED BLEND
OF FRESH CREAM, MILK,
AND A VARIETY OF SWEETENERS.
A WORKER ADDS A BLEND
OF YELLOW COLORING
TO THE WHITE BASE MIX,
AND THIS TAKES IT
FROM BRIGHT WHITE
TO AN OFF-WHITE.
A GENEROUS HELPING
OF PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
LENDS A DISTINCTIVE FLAVOR
AND ADDS EXTRA COLOR
TO THE CREAM BASE.
AFTER A FINAL STIR, THE MIX IS
READY FOR A FREEZING PROCESS,
DURING WHICH, AIR WILL BE ADDED
TO TURN THE MIX
INTO SOFT ICE CREAM.
IT'S TIME TO CUE THE CONTAINERS.
TWO AT A TIME, INDIVIDUAL-SIZED
SUNDAE CUPS MOVE FORWARD
ON THE PRODUCTION LINE.
THEY MEET UP WITH
THE ICE CREAM DISPENSER.
IT AUTOMATICALLY PUMPS
PRECISE AMOUNTS
OF THE SOFT VANILLA ICE CREAM
INTO THE CUPS.
IT FILLS THE CUPS
TO THE 3/4 MARK,
LEAVING PLENTY OF ROOM
FOR TOPPINGS.
IT'S NOW TIME TO PREPARE
THE NEXT LAYER
OF DELICIOUSNESS --
THE CHOCOLATE FUDGE SAUCE.
A WORKER MIXES SKIM MILK
AND SWEETENERS
TO A FROTHY CONSISTENCY,
AND THEN ADDS SEVERAL LARGE BAGS
OF DARK RICH COCOA.
THE MIXER PADDLE AGITATES
THE INGREDIENTS TO DISTRIBUTE
THE COCOA EVENLY THROUGHOUT.
THE CHOCOLATE FUDGE IS PUMPED
INTO A PLASTIC TOTE
TO COOL OVERNIGHT.
DURING COOLING,
THE SAUCE THICKENS UP
SUBSTANTIALLY.
IT'S NOW A RICH
CHOCOLATE FUDGE SYRUP.
VELVETY SMOOTH, THE CHOCOLATE
SYRUP FLOWS OUT OF THE TOTE
AND INTO A BIG TANK.
FROM THERE, NOZZLES DISPENSE
THE CHOCOLATE FUDGE SYRUP
ONTO THE VANILLA ICE CREAM
IN THE CUPS.
NEXT, A WORKER POURS
A LIQUID-TOPPING BLEND
INTO A HIGH-SPEED MIXER SYSTEM
THAT BEATS IT
TO A WHIPPED CONSISTENCY.
NOZZLES DEPOSIT
THE WHIPPED TOPPING
ONTO THE SYRUP-COVERED
ICE CREAM.
NOW IT'S TIME TO ADD
SOME CHOCOLATE CRUNCH
TO THE SMOOTH, SWEET SUNDAE.
THE SYSTEM SPRINKLES
SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHUNKS
ONTO THE WHIPPED TOPPING.
IT'S THE FINAL TOUCH.
THESE SINGLE-SERVE
CHOCOLATE SUNDAES
HAVE BEEN PREPARED
ALMOST ENTIRELY BY MACHINES.
A CONVEYOR NOW SENDS THEM
THROUGH AN ICY BLAST OF AIR
FOR A QUICK FREEZE.
EXITING THE FREEZER, THE FROZEN
SUNDAES TRAVEL FORWARD,
SHIELDED BY OVERHEAD GUARDS
FOR FOOD-SAFETY REASONS.
THE SUNDAES FUNNEL
INTO A SINGLE-FILE LANE.
THIS POSITIONS THEM
TO RECEIVE LIDS.
THE LIDS SLIDE DOWN A CHUTE
AND LAND ON TOP
OF THE ICE CREAM SUNDAE CUPS.
ROLLERS PRESS THE LIDS
DOWN ON THE RIMS.
A REVOLVING APPARATUS DEPOSITS
PLASTIC COLLARS AROUND THE LIDS.
MOVING FORWARD, THE MACHINERY
SORTS THE SUNDAE CUPS
IN ROW OF TWO.
THIS ALLOWS A ROBOT
WITH SUCTIONING ARMS
TO PICK UP SIX AT A TIME
AND PACK THEM
INTO A CARDBOARD BOX.
THE BOXES TRAVEL UNDER AND OVER
PACKING TAPE
TO SEAL THE TOPS AND BOTTOMS.
INCREDIBLY, THIS FACTORY
PRODUCES 1,440 ICE CREAM
SUNDAE CUPS EVERY 15 MINUTES.
AND IT'S ALL THANKS TO
THE MAGIC OF MECHANIZATION.
THIS COMPANY ALSO PRODUCES TUBS
OF FLAVORED ICE CREAM,
SO THERE ARE MANY
MOUTH-WATERING CHOICES
TO BE MADE
AT DESSERT TIME.
♪
