The development of a low glycemic index ice cream with as close as possible physicochemical properties and sensory quality compared with a sucrose-sweetened ice cream was investigated. Three relatively new novel commercial sweeteners -tagatose, erythritol and trehalose -were studied, along with maltitol and polydextrose. Once the freezing curves were matched, other physicochemical properties also were found to match. Sweetness and sweet taste could then be adjusted for sensory optimisation with a combination of these sugars and supplementation with sucralose to boost the sweetness as necessary.

SummaryThe effects of trehalose and sucrose on the rate of ice crystal growth in ice cream during accelerated shelf-life were compared. Experimental and theoretical freezing curves were shown to be in good agreement. Glass transition temperatures (T g ) of maximally freeze concentrated trehalose and sucrose solutions (40% w ⁄ w) were found to be )39.5°C and )47°C respectively. For ice cream mixes, the T g value increased from )46.4°C for the 100% sucrose-based mix to )42.0°C for the 100% trehalose sweetened ice cream. However, no differences in viscosity, nucleation rate or inhibition of ice crystal growth were observed with increasing trehalose concentration in ice cream.