Effect of fat content on the physical properties and consumer acceptability of vanilla ice cream

Abstract

Ice cream is a complex food matrix that contains multiple physical phases. Removal of 1 ingredient may affect not only its physical properties but also multiple sensory characteristics that may or may not be important to consumers. Fat not only contributes to texture, mouth feel, and flavor, but also serves as a structural element. We evaluated the effect of replacing fat with maltodextrin (MD) on select physical properties of ice cream and on consumer acceptability. Vanilla ice creams were formulated to contain 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14% fat, and the difference was made up with 8, 6, 4, 2, and 0% maltodextrin, respectively, to balance the mix. Physical characterization included measurements of overrun, apparent viscosity, fat particle size, fat destabilization, hardness, and melting rate. A series of sensory tests were conducted to measure liking and the intensity of various attributes. Tests were also conducted after 19 weeks of storage at -18°C to assess changes in acceptance due to prolonged storage at unfavorable temperatures. Then, discrimination tests were performed to determine which differences in fat content were detectable by consumers. Mix viscosity decreased with increasing fat content and decreasing maltodextrin content. Fat particle size and fat destabilization significantly increased with increasing fat content. However, acceptability did not differ significantly across the samples for fresh or stored ice cream. Following storage, ice creams with 6, 12, and 14% fat did not differ in acceptability compared with fresh ice cream. However, the 8% fat, 6% MD and 10% fat, 4% MD ice creams showed a significant drop in acceptance after storage relative to fresh ice cream at the same fat content. Consumers were unable to detect a difference of 2 percentage points in fat level between 6 and 12% fat. They were able to detect a difference of 4 percentage points for ice creams with 6% versus 10%, but not for those with 8% versus 12% fat. Removing fat and replacing it with maltodextrin caused minimal changes in physical properties in ice cream and mix and did not change consumer acceptability for either fresh or stored ice cream.

Studies of human twins reveal genetic variation that affects dietary fat perception

“…We also had to choose appropriate test stimuli that would generalize to real foods (vs. model systems) and appropriate behavioral methods. No one standard method has been adopted, with investigators in this area using many different stimuli to measure fat perception, including oil-and-water mixtures (Heinze et al 2017); oil in salad dressing (Keller et al 2012); fat in puddings (Mennella et al 2012), in scrambled eggs or mashed potatoes (Mela and Sacchetti 1991), or in ice cream (Rolon et al 2017) or added fatty acids in chocolate (Running et al 2017). Here we used potato chips that varied in amounts of corn oil and an added fatty acid, capitalizing on our technical expertise in their production and practical constraints of our testing environment (an annual convention of twins; see below).…”

Using spray‐dried sugar beet molasses in ice cream as a novel bulking agent

“…In the case of low‐calorie product development studies, quality characteristics will be significantly affected by the type and level of substitute used. For example, Laura Rolon et al () found that maltodextrin usage rate and reduction in fat level resulted in a decrease in consumer acceptance of ice cream. Hyvönen et al () reported that the use of this component increases the rate of aroma release and melting in the fat‐free ice cream samples prepared by the use of maltodextrin at the level of 2.1%, and found that the perceived ‘fattiness’ and ‘creaminess’ properties become apparent.…”

Investigation of viscous characteristics of ice cream mixtures with starch syrup

“…The viscosity characteristics of ice cream mixtures change during the technological process under the influence of certain types of thermal and mechanical processing (mixing, pasteurization, homogenization, cooling, maturation, freezing) [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Thus, scientists at the University of Manchester (UK) have confirmed that the viscosity of ice cream mixtures is volatile and depends, first of all, on the temperature of the samples under study and the rate of shear [2].…”

“…Hydrocolloids and surfactants (stabilizers, emulsifiers and stabilization systems) are essential in the structuring of mixtures for the production of ice cream [5]. Equally important is the content of the fatty component, with the increase in the viscosity of the mixtures also rises [1][2][3][4][5][6][7], as well as its chemical composition and degree of conscientiousness. In the course of the latest developments, so-called "low-fat" milk fat substitutes such as starch, starch-lipid compositions, serum protein isolates (WPI), maltodextrins, etc.…”

“…are becoming increasingly popular. [6][7][8][9], whose influence on the organoleptic and structural-mechanical properties of ice cream is still not sufficiently studied.…”