From fat crystals to creamy texture: Unraveling the role of fatty acid composition in ice cream stability and quality

Ling Chen; Mengdi Zhao; Fei Liu; Yixun Xia; Maoshen Chen

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142239

From fat crystals to creamy texture: Unraveling the role of fatty acid composition in ice cream stability and quality

Food Chem. 2025 Mar 1:467:142239. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142239. Epub 2024 Dec 3.

Authors

Ling Chen¹, Mengdi Zhao², Fei Liu³, Yixun Xia³, Maoshen Chen⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Jiaxing Institute of Future Food, Jiaxing 314015, China; College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
² School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
³ School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Jiaxing Institute of Future Food, Jiaxing 314015, China; Key Laboratory of Food Sensory Science and Technology, China National Light Industry, Wuxi 214122, China.
⁴ School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; Jiaxing Institute of Future Food, Jiaxing 314015, China; Key Laboratory of Food Sensory Science and Technology, China National Light Industry, Wuxi 214122, China. Electronic address: chenmaoshen@jiangnan.edu.cn.

PMID: 39652980
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142239

Abstract

To fundamentally elucidate the impact of fat composition on ice cream properties, this study employed controlled variable methods, utilizing anhydrous milk fat (AMF), palm oil (PO), and coconut oil (CO) as fat sources. Thermodynamic analysis showed that increasing saturated and long-chain fatty acids doubles the crystallization rate (Kz), significantly enhancing crystalline solid fat content (CSFC) at -5 °C. This improvement increases the ice cream's resistance to melting and structural collapse. XRD and PLM analyses revealed that higher levels of these fatty acids promote the β' crystal formation and elongated, one-dimensional crystals, accelerating partial coalescence by 10-40 %. This results in a denser, more stable fat network, reducing melting rates by 20-40 % and improving freeze-thaw stability by 2-5 times. These findings offer practical guidance for improving ice cream formulations to enhance melting resistance and texture stability, particularly in commercial frozen dessert production.

Keywords: Fat crystallization; Fatty acid composition; Long-chain fatty acids; Melting resistance; Saturated fatty acids.

MeSH terms

Animals
Coconut Oil / chemistry
Crystallization*
Fats / chemistry
Fatty Acids* / chemistry
Food Handling
Freezing
Ice Cream* / analysis
Milk / chemistry
Palm Oil* / chemistry
Thermodynamics

Substances

Fatty Acids
Palm Oil
Coconut Oil
Fats