High Pressure Processing Technique Created for Better Ice Cream

HP processing is increasingly popular as a food preservation and sterilization method and now its use as a tool to improve the functionality of milk proteins has been established.

7/14/2011 --- High pressure processing may enable ice cream manufacturers to reduce the use of additives and make better low fat products.

Scientists from NIZO food research, University College Cork and the University of Guelph have investigated the effects of high pressure (HP) treatment during ice cream manufacturing and discovered the mechanisms responsible for the changes. HP processing is increasingly popular as a food preservation and sterilization method and now its use as a tool to improve the functionality of milk proteins has been established.

HP treatment could have several important benefits for ice cream manufacturers. These include the improvement of reduced-fat ice cream and the possibility of making products without the additives that are normally included to prevent ice crystallization. HP treatment may also allow ice cream manufacturers to cut raw material costs by reducing the protein content without compromising texture or mouthfeel. These benefits are a result of the increased viscosity and higher resistance to melting induced by the HP processing.

According to the study, published in the International Dairy Journal, “Transmission electron micrographs showed the presence of a network of micellar fragments, arising from HP-induced disruption, in the HP-treated mix and ice cream prepared there from. The network of micellar fragments is believed to be responsible for the increased viscosity and reduced melting, and is hypothesized to occur as a result of calcium-induced aggregation of caseins on decompression.”

Senior scientist Thom Huppertz from NIZO says that HP processing is ready for use by industry and that the necessary equipment is available on a commercial scale. Huppertz: ‘We welcome ice cream manufacturers to work together to tailor the process to their specific situation.’

The Irish government agency Enterprise Ireland provided funding for the research.