Bad News for Tyra Banks and Her 'Hot Ice Cream'

Tyra Banks left people on the internet collectively scratching their heads when she launched her newest business venture out of the blue: "hot ice cream."

What exactly is "hot ice cream"? The answer is about as clear as the water in the Hudson River. While the Top Model star has remained coy about what exactly her revolutionary new offering is, she has been very clear about what it is not.

It's not melted ice cream. It's not a latte. It's not créme anglaise. And according to the Australian government, it's not ice cream either.

Legal Trouble for Tyra Banks' Hot Ice Cream

In the U.S., a product has to meet certain specifications in order to legally be considered "ice cream." This is why you'll often see cartons from companies like Breyers that read "frozen dairy dessert." Australia has the same regulation. While the U.S. and Australia can't agree on whether it's soccer or football, both countries can agree that ice cream needs at least 10% milk fat. Otherwise, it's just an icy imposter.

Australia's regulation also specifies that any product posing as ice cream is frozen, which hot ice cream famously is not. After an ABC (the Australian one) reporter asked the New South Wales Food Authority, an investigation concluded that Banks cannot call her product "ice cream."

"The NSW Food Authority is liaising with the business to ensure their ordering system removes reference to ice cream where it is not included," an agency spokesperson told ABC.

The Artist Formerly Known as Hot Ice Cream

Now, at Banks' Sydney-based shop SMiZE & DREAM, the product formerly known as "hot ice cream" will be referred to as "hot SMiZE cream" (capitalization theirs). Which, honestly, is probably better marketing anyway.

The company seems to agree, as a spokesperson told ABC that the primary reason for the name change was to "lean further into our brand voice." That voice, of course, being the one on Banks' Christmas single, "Santa SMiZE, Santa SMiZE."