Ice Cream Characterization: Methods, Quality, and Composition

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of ice cream characterization, focusing on the techniques used to ensure the desired quality of the final product. It explains why ice cream is considered a formulated product due to the specific selection, processing, and combination of ingredients like water, milk, cream, sugar, and flavoring additives. The report details the components of ice cream, including ice crystals, air (overrun), fat, sweeteners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and milk solids non-fat (MSNF), and their roles in determining the texture, taste, and stability of the ice cream. Furthermore, it describes the Babcock method, a direct technique for determining fat content, outlining the procedure and its advantages, such as rapidity, simplicity, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. The report concludes by highlighting the importance of characterization in maintaining the quality and meeting market demands for ice cream, emphasizing the balance of components to achieve the desired product characteristics.

CHARACTERIZATION OF ICE CREAM
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CHARACTERIZATION OF ICE CREAM
INTRODUCTION
The manufacturing of ice cream involves various processes. These processes, such as
freezing, are vital in determining desirable aspects of the ice cream like its overall texture. These
aspects inform what ice cream brand a customer purchases. Therefore, manufacturers are
normally keen on having the best processes to produce the highest quality ice cream that satisfy
the market demands.
Ice cream is a popular aerated dessert which is frozen. However, this dessert contains
high quantities of fat which can result in adverse health effects on a person. The ice cream
manufacturers therefore try hard to come with designs that have low fat contents without altering
the taste and sweetness of the ice cream. Hence, various methods or techniques are used in the
process of characterizing the ice cream to enhance the final performance such as the fat content,
aroma, and smoothness. This paper discusses some of the characterization techniques which are
applied in ensuring that the overall quality of ice cream is as desired (Aboulfazali et al, 2015).

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CHARACTERIZATION OF ICE CREAM
A. WHY ICE CREAM IS A FORMULATED PRODUCT
The physical characteristics of ice cream makes it a formulated product. Ice cream is composed
of various ingredients which are selected, processed and combined in a specific way to produce
the end product. The ingredients are combined in different proportions to achieve the different
specifications for the different ice cream varieties. The proportions are also carefully calculated
to maintain the other aspects of the ice cream.
Ice cream is made up of water, milk, cream, sugar and other flavoring additives combined in
different proportions. These additives in addition to giving the ice cream flavor, help maintain
the physical nature and the stability of the frozen structure when combined in a pre-defined ratio
(Aboulfazali et al, 2016). This is crucial in making sure the ice cream is neither too liquid nor too
solid, thereby attaining the perfect rigidity for the ice cream which is normally when the ice
cream temperature is between 5 degrees Celsius and 10 degrees Celsius.
Ice cream is a formulated product since it is produced by mixing different proportions of the
various ingredients following a given procedure that satisfies the grade and quality of ice cream
that is desired.
The concentration of different components in the ice cream for the standard brands include the
following:
 Milk Fat – 10% to 16%
 Milk Solids Not Fat (MSNF) - 9% to 12%
 Sweeteners, Emulsifiers and Stabilizers– 13% to 17%
 Overrun – 100% to 120% (Aime et al, 2009)

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CHARACTERIZATION OF ICE CREAM
The nature of ice cream makes it a foam and emulsion simultaneously. It consists of a dispersion
of microscopic particles that are less than 0.5mm in size superimposed on one another. The air in
the ice cream does not combine with the other ingredients of the ice cream. This air forms the
small bubbles called the foam.
The ice cream has emulsifiers as well. These are the particles sticking to the interfaces of ice
cream preventing its structure from collapsing. The emulsifiers therefore are the ones that
maintain the stability of the ice cream’s structure.
Ice cream also contains dissolved substances that alter its freezing temperature. This results in
the ice cream’s freezing point being different from that of water. The presence of these solute
components is the reason for this increased range of temperatures from the onset to the actual
occurrence of the freezing process (Arbukule, 2009).
The Components of Ice Cream
The components of ice cream are primarily frozen emulsions of five basic ingredients. These are:
Ice Crystals- these are the frozen water component of the ice cream. They are formed by putting
the ice in the ice cream container when the base part of the water content starts to freeze thereby
giving the ice cream its solidity and body. The texture of the ice cream is determined by the size
of the crystals, that is, how fine or grainy is the final ice cream. For this reason, one should aim
more at regulating the size of the ice grains so that it is maintained as small as possible (Boff et
al, 2013). This is however subject to the specifications and desired ice cream type. Regulating
the ice crystals to the desired size produces ice cream with the specified texture.

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CHARACTERIZATION OF ICE CREAM
Air- this is the invisible part of the ice cream. The air plays a big role in the overall nature of the
final ice cream product. The amount of air whipped into the ice cream is represented as the
overrun value of the ice cream.
Ice cream generally has a porous - like structure. The tiny air pores found in the mixture of the
ice components determines the taste, texture and volume of the resultant ice cream. It also
maintains the general consistency of the ice cream. Ice cream varieties with very low overrun
tend to be less tasty as compared to those with higher overrun. However, having overrun that’s
too high decreases the quality of the ice cream. High overrun increases the volume, meaning the
actual amount of ice cream per kilogram of ice cream would be small. Since air is just found
freely and increases the volume of ice, its content in the ice should be reduced, thereby
increasing the quality of the ice cream. Without doing this, the volume of ice cream can increase
to appear as if it’s big yet it is just filled with air bubbles (Cao-Hoang, 2010).
Fat- the fat component of the ice cream is basically provided by the butterfat in the milk. Its
main purpose in the ice cream is to add richness. It also stabilizes the base of the whole ice cream
mixture.
The density of the ice cream is determined by the amount fat in it. Higher amounts of fat
improves the density while lower amounts decrease it. This is dependent on the overrun values
since the volume of air in the ice cream influences its volume.
The milk fat in the ice cream also provides the smooth texture of the ice and improves the flavor
of the ice cream.
Sweeteners, Stabilizers and Emulsifiers- various ingredients for example sugars, syrups or
honey are added to provide the sweetness in the ice cream. Ingredients such as these are

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CHARACTERIZATION OF ICE CREAM
collectively referred to as sweeteners. The sweeteners affect both the body of the ice cream and
its texture. They also acts as the impurities that alter the freezing point. This ensures that the ice
cream does not freeze resulting in a very hard solid. The stabilizers balances the mixture both
chemically and structurally while the emulsifiers such as proteins help in coalescing the droplets
of fat in the ice cream.
Reducing the sweeteners component of the ice cream therefore can result in a reduced quality of
the ice in terms of the body and the stability of the ice-cream (Carr et al, 2012).
MSNF (Milk Solids Non - Fat) - these include non-fat milk components like proteins and
mineral salts and other flavors. These solids contribute largely to the body and texture of the ice
cream. They also add flavor and sweetness to the overall mix. These solids should be regulated
so that they are not too much nor too little to achieve the required balance for the given ice cream
variety. This contributes to the overall quality and grade of the ice cream.

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CHARACTERIZATION OF ICE CREAM
B. SCIENTIFIC ENGINEERING OF DIRECT TECHNIQUE (BABCOCK METHOD)
The Babcock is a scientific technique used in the determination of the percentage content
of fat in milk. The technique mainly relies on the principle of dissolution by the addition of an
acid or a mixture of acids, in this case a mixture of glacial acetic acid and sulfuric acid.
The Babcock method is simple to execute and accurate when properly conducted. The
steps below represent the procedures followed in the Babcock method.
 Mixing of the sample – this involves warming a sample of the ice cream at a temperature
of 40 degree Celsius. The sample is then mixed with sodium hydroxide. This is done by
adding some granules of powdered sodium hydroxide to the warmed sample. Adding
sodium hydroxide results in emulsification of the ice cream sample.
 Weighing – using a pipette, 9 grams of the sample (now mixed with sodium hydroxide) is
obtained through weighing.
 Babcock process – this first involves taking an equal amount of glacial acetic acid and
sulfuric acid and mixing the two. The acid mixture is then allowed to cool. 15 mm of this
acid mixture is then added to the ice cream – sodium hydroxide mixture in a bottle with a
graduated neck. The acid mixture dissolves all the solid matters of the ice cream except
the fat. The mixture is then shaken and the bottle containing the mixture placed in a
steam bath. Heat is then applied until the mixture turns dark in color. Thereafter remove
the bottle and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Transfer the contents of the bottle to a
centrifuge tube and then place it in a centrifuge. After removing the mixture from the
centrifuge, transfer the mixture back to the bottle. Whirl the mixture and then add hot
water after every 3 minutes as you whirl, for a total of 15 minutes. The hot water will
help in raising the melted fat to the graduated neck for recording. This will then be

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followed by removal of the bottle and placing it in water at a temperature of 55 degree
Celsius. The percentage content of fat will then be read by rubbing the neck of the bottle
using powdered calcium carbonate. (Analytical, 2008).
An application of the Babcock Technique was by E. W. Bird, D. F. Breazeale and G. C. Sands in
Iowa State College in determining Nature of Fatty Materials in Buttermilk. The technique
produced the results in the table below.
SAMPLE NUMBER
PERCENTAGE FATTY MATERIAL
EXTRACTED FROM BABCOCK
METHOD
1A 7.31
1B -
2A 10.50
2B 8.93
3A 8.66
3B 10.12
4A 5.03
4B 5.49
5A 7.80
5B 7.66
6A 9.18
6B 9.52
SAMPLE NUMBER
PERCENTAGE FATTY MATERIAL
EXTRACTED FROM BABCOCK

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CHARACTERIZATION OF ICE CREAM
METHOD
7A 7.99
7B 8.67
8A 6.83
8B 8.26
9A 5.21
9B 5.49
10A 8.15
10B 8.69
AVERAGE 7.87
The Babcock technique was applied to 20 samples, every two samples drawn from 10 different
Buttermilk products. The analysis aimed at comparing the fat quantity in the different products
as well as determining the average quantity of fat among the different products.
C. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF DIRECT TECHNIQUE

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CHARACTERIZATION OF ICE CREAM
Advantages of direct technique
 The Babcock direct technique of characterization is rapid. The technique produces results
instantaneously and therefore saves time for any ice cream manufacturer that is
measuring the content of fat in the ice cream. The rapidness of the technique serves to
reduce the time taken during production and in turn production cost for the manufacture
of ice cream, making it economically viable option.
 The direct technique of characterization produces a simple process or recipe for the case
of the ice cream. This simplicity enables one to easily prepare an ice cream at home by
following the procedures. Thus, direct technique simplifies the process of making ice
cream (Chain et al, 2016).
 The Babcock technique of characterization is highly accurate method. In comparison to
other characterization techniques, the Babcock method produces results that are more
reliable and credible. This makes this technique the most efficient for characterization of
the formulation of ice cream.
 The Babcock direct technique is cheaper method of determining the percentage content of
fat in the ice cream. The affordability aspect of this technique makes it a preferable fat
determination method since it reduces the cost of production which would otherwise be
high if other methods were used.
 The direct technique produces a clear and simplified composition of the ice cream’s
structure, its ingredients, and the proportional mix of these ingredients that produces an
overall ice cream that is stable and consistent (Gomes, 2013).
 The Babcock direct technique is simple to understand and execute. The procedures
involved in the Babcock method are relatively straight forward making the process less

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susceptible to external factors. The simplicity of this method serves to increase its
efficiency.
Disadvantages of direct technique
 The Babcock direct technique only gives information on the percentage content of fat in
the ice cream. Information on other aspects of the milk fat such as the quantity of
phospholipids in the ice cream cannot be obtained using this process. This makes the
method only limited and hence cannot be relied upon to generate more information on the
milk fat.
 Understanding the nature of some components such as the emulsifiers and stabilizers may
be challenging. The complexity in structure, properties and behavior of these components
in different composition require a deeper examining and understanding of the
components.
 The Babcock direct technique is limited to determining the percentage of the content of
fat in the ice cream. This leaves out the other components of the ice cream such as air and
water in form of ice crystal. This makes using the technique costly since other methods
need to be applied in order to produce a more conclusive characterization of the
formulation of ice cream.
 Computation and addition of emulsifiers and stabilizers requires skills. This is crucial in
achieving the desired specifications for the ice cream. Any miscalculation in terms of the
percentage and proportion of the major components, flavors and additives can result in
distortion of the quality of the resulting ice cream (Gomet et al, 2010).
 Issues of temperatures balance and the stabilization components require a lot of
concentration and skills. Resources and equipment required for the temperature balance,

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for instance, the refrigerators or the chillers are expensive. Achieving the required
conditions for producing the best quality ice cream can demand a great commitment of
resources.
 The Babcock direct technique involves the use of a mixture of acids (glacial acetic acid
and sulfuric acid). This results to high concentrations of acid in the process. These
concentrations have adverse effects to any chocolates or sugars used in the ice cream.
Hence making it an unsuitable method for products with chocolates and sugars. This
implies that for many of the ice cream varieties that have sugar and chocolate
components in them, the Babcock method can either be applied to the milk before it is
mixed with the other components that make up the ice cream, or abandoned in favor of
another technique with less effects on the chocolates and sugars.
D. OTHER TECHNIQUES OF CHARACTERIZATION OF THE FORMULATION OF
ICE CREAM