Correlation between colloidal properties of ice cream mix and ice cream

Ice cream mix was produced with a range of emulsifiers and concentrations. Ice cream mix properties were measured and correlated to ice cream properties. Protein load (mg m(-2)) in ice cream mix correlated with major characteristic analyses describing the fat structure in ice cream (fat agglomerate size, fat agglomeration index, solvent extractable fat). Thus, the measurement of protein load in the mix can be used to predict ice cream fat stability and related structure with constant processing conditions. As emulsification increased, more fat could be seen at the air interface by scanning electron microscopy. High correlation coefficients were also obtained with fat structure analyses and the quantitative determination of fat in the dripped portion taken from a melting test of ice cream. Hence, fat analysis from the dripped melt fraction is suggested as a method to characterize the fat-related structure in ice cream. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.