Because people fear what they don't know, they see big chemical names and immediately assume they're bad for them. They're afraid of them because they don't understand them.they don't want harmless chemical additives that allow that benchmark to be met.
I definitely agree to you and the person you replied to, and what's particularly why I liked this article. Instead of just saying "they help extend the shelf life," it explains that the additives are (in this case) emulsifiers, just like the lecithin in egg yolks, that help stop the ice cream from separating when it melts. It gives people a simple explanation of what the chemical actually does and it gives a natural equivalent for people to associate with it. Hopefully this kind of writing and sentiment becomes more common in place of the more common "This chemical is also used in RUBBER FLOOR MATS and the manufacture of CONCRETE and it has a BIG COMPLICATED NAME, is this what you want your CHILDREN to be EATING!?"
Yeah, I think there's a real public thirst for understanding what's what when it comes to food and for good reason. Much as I enjoy food and cooking and dislike the whole "foodie" thing, I am glad that more people are taking time to learn how to make foods they enjoy. Learning how something is made imparts an understanding of what the various components do or do not do, even if only in a limited capacity. I don't know if you've checked out that site, but I find that they have a lot of quality articles on food and food-related topics. It's one of my go-to sites for sure.
Sometimes you just need to show people a picture like this and let them digest it a bit.