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Edible 'Antifreeze' Prevents Unwanted Ice Crystals In Ice Cream And Frozen Foods

Date:
January 15, 2008
Source:
American Chemical Society
Summary:
An edible and tasteless "antifreeze" has been developed that prevents the formation of ice crystals that can spoil the smooth, silky texture of ice cream and interfere with the palatability of other frozen foods. Scientists explain that preventing the formation of large ice crystals is a major challenge for frozen food manufacturers and consumers who store packages in home freezers.
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A scientist in Wisconsin reports development of an edible and tasteless "antifreeze" that prevents the formation of ice crystals that can spoil the smooth, silky texture of ice cream and interfere with the palatability of other frozen foods.

In the new report, Srinivasan Damodaran explains that preventing the formation of large ice crystals is a major challenge for frozen food manufacturers and consumers who store packages in home freezers.

Although several different substances have been added to frozen foods to prevent ice crystal growth, none is really effective, the researcher says.

Damodaran's solution is gelatin hydrolysate, a protein known to act as a natural antifreeze. In a controlled study using batches of ice cream prepared with and without the non-toxic compound, ice cream containing the antifreeze developed significantly smaller and fewer ice crystals than batches prepared without the compound, the researcher says.

The study "Inhibition of Ice Crystal Growth in Ice Cream Mix by Gelatin Hydrolysate"  is scheduled for the Jan. 9 issue of ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.


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Materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Cite This Page:

American Chemical Society. "Edible 'Antifreeze' Prevents Unwanted Ice Crystals In Ice Cream And Frozen Foods." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 January 2008. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114100258.htm>.
American Chemical Society. (2008, January 15). Edible 'Antifreeze' Prevents Unwanted Ice Crystals In Ice Cream And Frozen Foods. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114100258.htm
American Chemical Society. "Edible 'Antifreeze' Prevents Unwanted Ice Crystals In Ice Cream And Frozen Foods." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114100258.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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