As others have posted it contains an antifreeze solution of some sort. But as an ex soda jerk, the scoops they had at Baskin Robbins were stainless steel and were kept in water. To scoop we would remove the scoop from the water and tap it on the sponge. The scoops released just fine. The trick was not to dally with ice cream in the scoop or it would stick.
The kind of scoops you had were used by soda fountains to make their sundaes look bigger by curling a hollow scoop. Part of the ice cream experience is lost however when the proper degree of compression is not achieved. Allow me to explain, when ice cream is manufactured the freezer whips air into the product and then it is poured into the tubs and popped into the freezer. When served, the act of scooping squeezes the little fat globules closer together so when it hits your tongue you get that intense sweet creamy taste and velvety feel.
You can try this at home. Cut a small chunk of ice cream from the carton and compare it to a similar size chunk of compressed ice cream.
Milk shakes however are best achieved with more air not less. To make a thick milk shake the trick is to allow the carton of milk to set in the freezer until it becomes slushy. Use chilled syrup and small chunks of ice cream that you have shaved rather than compressed. The shake blender adds air and the icy milk allows the air to stay in solution long enough to drink. In the case of the milk shake, it is desirable to have the fat globules spaced further apart as it slides over your tongue as this gives you more of a refreshing experience.
If you have ever took a sip of a melted milk shake, the lack of air explains the over sweet and kind of greasy mouth feel that you experienced.