TABLE OF CONTENTS The ingredients of ice cream products can be classified in three groups:
Major ingredients, present in substantial quantities (at least a few % by weight), such as milk protein, sugar, fat and water.
Minor ingredients, present in small quantities (less than about 1% by weight), such as emulsifiers, stabilizers, colours and flavours.
Components such as chocolate, biscuits, wafers, fruit pieces and nuts that are combined with ice cream to make products.
Most ice creams also contain a significant proportion (by volume) of air, although this is not usually thought of as an ingredient. The ingredients can be obtained from various raw materials: for example, milk protein and fat (and some water) could be supplied together in the form of milk or cream; alternatively, they could come from separate raw materials, i.e. skimmed milk powder and butterfat or vegetable fat. This choice largely depends upon the type of product required, cost and availability of raw materials and the scale of production. Table 3.1 shows a typical ice cream composition (or 'formulation').
| Ingredient | Amount (wt%) |
|---|---|
| Fat | 7 15 |
| Milk protein | 4 5 |
| Lactose | 5 7 |
| Other sugars | 12 16 |
| Stabilizers, emulsifiers and flavours | 0.5 |
| Total solids | 28 40 |
| Water | 60 72 |
The total solids is the sum of all the ingredients other than water. In general, high total solids formulations give high quality ice cream. In an 'all-natural' ice cream, artificial emulsifiers, colours and flavours are avoided. Products, such as sorbets, milk ices or water ices contain a subset of...
