Development of a plant-based ice cream

Abstract

It is a challenge to make ice cream without any dairy ingredients, since the components in dairy contribute to the unique flavour and structure of the ice cream. The aim with this project was to develop an ice cream mix containing only plant-based ingredients. The source of the main ingredient, the plant-base, was chosen by the company of which this project was requested by. The aim was to develop a plant-based ice cream which has similar flavour, mouthfeel, texture and meltdown rate as traditional dairy ice cream.

In the beginning stages of the development process pre-trials were conducted to choose a preferred plant-base. Further on, optimisation trials were performed in a pilot scale homogenizer, pasteurizer and batch freezer, in order to find the appropriate ingredients and the ratio of the ingredients. Each produced sample was evaluated by a smaller sensory panel. Parameters such as coldness, creaminess, greasiness and off-flavour were assessed throughout the optimisation trials. Three samples which were considered to exhibit the desired characteristics, as well as one sample considered to exhibit the undesired characteristics, were evaluated by a larger sensory panel.

Physical analyses were then performed on the samples, as well as on market competitors for comparison. Hardness, microstructure, meltdown rate and particle size of melted ice cream were analysed. The market competitors showed a more fully developed fat network within the ice cream, than in the samples produced during the optimisation trials.

The product development process of this project resulted in two plant-based ice cream mixes, which were considered by the company’s sensory panel to exhibit the desired texture and mouthfeel, regarding flavour, creaminess, greasiness, and coldness. However, one of the samples showed better results in some of the physical analyses than the other, including meltdown rate and fat destabilization. Future progress of this project should include trials of the ice cream mixes in a continuous freezer instead of a batch freezer, as it will affect the formation of the fat network.

Popular Abstract

Is there anything better than ice cream on warm summer days? That nice creamy flavour and smooth mouthfeel, and just that right amount of coolness. But how would you proceed if you want to enjoy the deliciousness of ice cream, without the cream or any other dairy ingredients? There is an increase of consumers choosing plant-based alternatives to traditional dairy products, some due to allergies and some simply do not wish to consume products derived from animals. This has made its mark on the ice cream market, and studies from 2020 show that the amount of plant-based ice cream products are growing worldwide.

In this project an ice cream was developed, without the use of either cream or other dairy products, as requested by a company. The aim was for the ice cream to be as similar to a traditional dairy ice cream as possible, in terms of flavour and mouthfeel. Ice cream has complex microstructure, consisting of air bubbles, ice crystals, fat clusters and a viscous solution of water, sugar, salt, proteins and stabilizers. This microstructure is essential to achieve the desired combination of cooling, creaminess, softness and sweetness, of an ice cream. In this project cream and milk powder was replaced with plant milk and vegetable fat, while the same sugars, emulsifiers and stabilizers used in dairy ice cream were applied in the plant-based ice cream.

During this project several different recipes were formulated and produced in a pilot scale lab. In the beginning of the development phase the ice cream was considered as too icy, weak and not creamy enough. The sugar content was adjusted in order to make the ice cream softer and feel less cold in the mouth, as the sugars lower the freezing point of the ice cream. Different emulsifiers were also assessed, as they help the fat create the fat structure which gives rise to the creamy texture and the stability of whole ice cream.

When the ice cream samples were compared to similar products already on the market, it turned out that the fat structure was not as developed in the produced samples. One important difference between the samples produced in the pilot lab and the products from the market, is the freezing technique. The freezer used in the pilot lab is not as efficient to induce the formation of the fat structure as a plant scale freezer, which could be the reason for the structural differences.

The company which requested this project, was satisfied with the flavour and mouthfeel of the ice cream. However, the next step in this project should be to produce the ice cream in a more efficient freezer, to find out whether the lack of fat structure is due to freezing technique or due to the formulation of the recipes.

• author: Tengnäs, Lovisa
• supervisor: Maria Glantz
• organization: Food Technology and Nutrition (M.Sc.)
• course: KLGM10 20211
• year: 2021
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Agriculture and Food Sciences
• keywords: ice cream, plant-based, product development, food technology
• language: English
• id: 9053863
• date added to LUP: 2021-06-14 14:55:56
• date last changed: 2021-06-14 14:55:56