Ninety-six per cent of Canadians prefer to give their children ice cream made from milk and not a frozen dessert made from vegetable oils, according to a survey released Thursday by the Dairy Farmers of Ontario.

The survey also suggested eight out of 10 people think it's important that the ice cream they buy from the dairy freezer is made from milk.

"Some manufacturers have switched to vegetable oils and created look-alikes of our favourite ice cream brands labelled 'frozen desserts,'" Peter Gould, general manager of the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, said in a release.

"That's why dairy farmers are urging consumers to look for 'ice cream' on the label to make sure they are the real McCoy and not frozen dessert."

The survey is part of the group's recent public awareness campaign called "I Scream for Ice Cream."

Nearly 1,500 Canadians participated in the online survey, conducted in June by Ipsos Reid.