Development and Characterization of a Functional Ice Cream from Sheep Milk Enriched with Microparticulated Whey Proteins, Inulin, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Bifidobacterium BB-12®

The aim of this work was develop a technological process for the manufacturing of an ice cream from sheep milk, enriched with both functional ingredients and probiotic bacteria. The studied process involved the use of an enriched milk (EM) obtained by mixing predetermined amounts of sheep skimmed milk concentrated by ultrafiltration (retentate), cream from sheep’s milk and whey, microparticulated whey proteins (MWP), obtained by ultrafiltration of sweet sheep whey as a source of whey proteins, marine algal oil from Schizochytrium spp. as a source of the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), inulin as a prebiotic fiber, and locust bean gum as a stabilizer. The resulting EM was inoculated with starter and aroma cultures together with the probiotic culture of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (BB-12®) in order to obtain a fermented functional product (FFP) with a physico-chemical composition similar to that of EM. FFP was the main ingredient (~80%, w/w) in the ice cream mixture. Two sucrose-alternative sweeteners (trehalose and erythritol), together with dextrose, were subsequently added to obtain the final ice cream formulation. The resulting ice cream met three nutritional claims: “Source of protein”, “Source of fiber” and “High in omega-3 fatty acids” listed in Regulations (EC) No 1924/2006 and (EU) No 116/2010. Furthermore, the ice cream satisfied the requirement of “probiotic food” according to the Italian Ministry of Health’s guidelines for probiotics. The nutritional characteristics of the ice cream, including the concentration of the probiotic culture, remained stable up to 120 days of storage at −20 ± 2 °C.