Page 43 - Ameft Journal 2021-III

stabilizer combination for their needs. “Melting resistance is definitely some- thing we can influence, correct and improve upon. Switching emulsifiers is the easiest way to get a benefit – we can do a lot just by changing from one Palsgaard® ExtruIce product to anoth- er,” he says. Unlike many alternatives in the mar- ket, Palsgaard’s products are fully in- tegrated blends. “The stabilizer is cov- ered by emulsifiers in a powder,” Claus explains. “That makes it very easy to handle and very easy to add to liquid because it’s highly dispersible. The al- ternative is to mix two or three pow- ders, which is more time-consuming.” The melting factors “Of course we’d like to say it’s all about our emulsifier products. And that’s true to a large extent, because if you don’t add any emulsifier at all, you’ll end up with a product that melts very quickly. But it’s also about the whole package. Ultimately, the emulsifier accounts for quite a small proportion of the ice cream, so we’re also dependent on fac- tors like the choice of other ingredients. If you’re using the wrong kind of fat, even our products can struggle to solve problems with melting resistance. Then there are water-soluble ingredients like milk powders – they can really affect structure too”, says Claus. With right ingredients, one can help regulate the melting properties of ice cream. Emulsifiers place themselves in the layer between fat and water, displacing the protein on the fat globules and reducing surface tension. As well as benefits like improving mouth-feel, this affects the stability of the ice cream, and the speed at which it melts. “Sometimes you also need to look at your processes and the way you’re handling the mix,” he adds. “There could be just one step in the process that’s ruining everything. For example, after you’ve processed the mix, you need to age the mix for at least four INGREDIENTS hours – preferably 24 – before you freeze it, but some producers shorten this aging time because they’re in a rush. They can have the best raw ma- terials, the best emulsifiers, the best freezers, the best processing line, but if they shorten the ageing time, they mess everything up for the sake of sav- ing a couple of hours.” “So when we talk to customers, we talk about their whole processing, and we’re often looking to see if there are other factors we can adjust. Emulsifi- ers are critical but you need that total overview.” The evolving science of melting resis- tance Emulsification technology has been evolving for decades, with solutions such as monoglycerides and diglycerides becoming common some decades ago. “That was the big shift,” Claus says. “Ice cream manufacturers were able to switch away from egg yolk to industrially produced emulsifiers, and it changed the whole approach to stability.” Meanwhile, digital technology now allows melting properties to be moni- tored to a high degree of accuracy. Palsgaard uses its own proprietary software in conjunction with a tem- perature control chamber and digital scales. As the ice cream melts, the pro- Palsgaard uses its own proprietary software in conjunction with a temperature control chamber and digital scales. As the ice cream melts, the program records the drop-off by weight and calculates the percentage loss. (Source: Palsgaard) w 1 ww ww w. .a am me e ft ft. . c co om m A 3 AM ME E F F T T 3 3 2 2 0 0 2 21 4 4 3