Nestlé, the world’s largest food company, is stepping back from one of its most emotional—and iconic—categories: ice cream.

In a strategic reset unveiled with its latest results, Nestlé said it is in advanced talks to transfer its remaining in-house ice cream operations to Froneri, the ice-cream giant it already co-owns with private-equity partner PAI Partners. The move would effectively mark Nestlé’s exit from the last pieces of an ice-cream footprint it has been shrinking for years.

The stakes go beyond a corporate reshuffle. Nestlé’s ice cream portfolio includes globally recognized names such as Häagen-Dazs, and the separation signals a sharp pivot toward a narrower set of priorities: coffee, pet care, nutrition, and food/snacks. In other words, a business built on indulgence is being pushed aside in favor of categories Nestlé believes better match shifting consumer behavior—especially demand for products framed around everyday utility, health, and functional benefits.

Reuters reported the assets under discussion include markets such as Canada, Chile, Peru, Malaysia, China, and Thailand, where Nestlé still ran “in-house” ice cream outside the Froneri structure. Nestlé would still keep its 50% stake in Froneri, meaning it may remain financially exposed to ice cream—just not operationally responsible for it.

For shoppers, the anxiety is immediate: when ownership changes, recipes, sourcing, and supply chains often change too—sometimes subtly, sometimes permanently. Nestlé has not said its brands will be reformulated, but the message of the deal is unmistakable: the company is betting the future is less about scoops and more about “core” growth engines.

And for the industry, it’s another warning flare: even the biggest food company in the world is re-ranking indulgence as a risk.