Effect of Protein and Gum Concentrates on Milk Ice-Cream Consistency and Structure

Abstract

Milk-containing ice-cream has a reduced content of milk non-fat solids, which affects its consistency and structure. The research objective was to study the effect of milk and whey protein concentrates on the consistency and structure of milk-containing ice-cream. It also featured effective compositions of polysaccharides based on guar, xanthan, and tara gums. Traditional milk ice-cream served as control. The rheological, microstructural, and thermostatic research methods revealed that complex food additives with gums and protein concentrates improved the viscosity of icecream mixes. The sample with protein concentrates and guar and xanthan gums showed the best dynamic viscosity indicators, which exceeded those of the control sample by 2.2 times. The combination of protein and gum concentrates in milk-containing ice-cream reduced its hardness by 1.4–2.0 times. The high dispersion of ice crystals and the air phase were comparable to those of the conventional ice-cream. However, the samples with whey protein concentrates and guar and xanthan gums very soon experienced a significant decrease (1.5 times) in the air phase dispersion. Stabilizers based on gums and milk protein concentrate raised the thermal stability of the final product while whey stabilizers reduced it. Milk and whey protein concentrates, as well as guar, xanthan, and tara gums, proved efficient as part of stabilization systems in milk-containing ice-cream.