The food science behind designing an ice cream
2 days ago
- #Food Science
- #Heat Resistance
- #Ice Cream Innovation
- The article explores the challenge of ice cream melting quickly in the Indian summer, tracing efforts from historical methods like Mughal kulfi to modern innovations.
- Ice cream is described as a multi-phase material consisting of ice crystals, sugar syrup, air, and fat, all contributing to its texture and stability.
- Different cultures have developed heat-resistant ice cream variants, such as Turkish dondurma with salep and mastic, and Thai rolled ice cream.
- India's ice cream market is growing rapidly, with regional variations in formulations—dairy-based in the North/West and vegetable fat-based in the South/East for better heat stability.
- Cold-chain logistics in India are improving with IoT and better packaging, but temperature fluctuations remain a problem during distribution.
- Brands like Hocco and NOTO are innovating with denser compositions, high-protein formulas, and robust packaging to withstand heat.
- Soft serve ice cream, stored as ambient-temperature liquid mix and frozen at point of sale, bypasses cold-chain issues entirely.
- Research into heat-stable ice cream includes using strawberry polyphenols, bacterial proteins like BslA, and antifreeze proteins to slow melting.
- Unilever has patented reformulations for warmer freezer temperatures and made some patents freely available to encourage innovation.
- The article concludes that solutions for melt-resistant ice cream exist but need broader implementation to improve the everyday ice cream experience in India.