At Gelateria Naia, a five-unit gelato chain based in Berkeley, Calif., owners Chris Tan and Trevor Morris often overhear customers describing their product as “really rich ice cream.” Although they have nothing against ice cream, they are aiming to clear up misconceptions by encouraging the California Department of Food and Agriculture to approve a standard for gelato. Manufacturers of ice cream, goat-milk ice cream, frozen custard, sherbet and frozen yogurt all adhere to government-set standards.

“You can make anything and call it gelato,” Morris says. “We want to reduce the confusion.”

So what's the difference? Ice cream has a minimum of 10% milk fat, whereas gelato has 4% to 7% milk fat. Gelato doesn't require eggs; ice cream does. Other differences, such as weight (gelato is heavier than ice cream, because it has less air), also set the products apart.

Any company that makes more than 25,000 gallons of frozen-dairy products is closely regulated by state control boards. Inspectors visiting Gelateria Naia have struggled with gelato classification, so they've encouraged Tan and Morris to propose regulations to California's secretary of agriculture. Although the partners expect their recommendations to be challenged by other gelato makers, they believe that taking the first step toward a quality-control standard will boost the integrity of gelato, just as ice-cream standards adopted in 1977 have protected ice cream.

“[Gelato] will become a known product,” Morris says. “When you say the word 'gelato,' people will know what you are talking about.”