Effect of milk fat fractions on the sensory evaluation of frozen desserts

Consumer panels compared sensory attributes of vanilla ice cream (10% fat) made with cream anhydrous milk fat, a low melting milk fat fraction, and a very high melting milk fat fraction with and without an emulsifier. Samples were compared immediately after manufacture and after 3 mo of storage. Flavor, texture, and overall acceptability of the samples differed. Ice cream made with cream had the highest score for flavor acceptability, followed by ice cream made with the very high melting fraction. The ice cream made with the low melting fraction had the lowest score. These differences in flavor were attributed to the differences in peroxide values between anhydrous milk fat and its fractions. Texture scores between the samples made with cream and those made with very high melting fraction were not different. Also, texture scores between the sample made with anhydrous milk fat and that made with a low melting fraction were not different. The overall scores of the samples made with cream were higher than that of samples made with anhydrous milk fat and its fractions. No differences were observed in the flavor, texture, and overall acceptability of the samples made with or without an emulsifier. A very high melting milk fat fraction call be probably used as a substitute for cream in ice cream manufacture.