Ice Cream Under the Microscope

Nothing says summer like ice cream. Let’s rephrase that. Nothing tastes more like summer than ice cream.

Science is not usually the first thing that pops into our minds when we are enjoying an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. Yet science may soon be playing a bigger role in how we look at and enjoy ice cream.

The folks at Nestle have been known to make some ice cream. Now Nestle is working with the people at the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research in Switzerland. They are using an x-ray machine that is usually used to study the way avalanches form. They do this by looking at ice crystal formations. The x-ray machine takes images of very small structures at sub-zero temperatures. This gives the Nestle crew a view of their ice cream they’ve never seen before.

Looking at ice cream as it forms on a molecular level gives Nestle researchers hope that they can create an ice cream that can withstand temperature changes better than the current ice cream. One of the Swiss researchers refers to ice cream as an “unstable substance”. He goes on to say that, as part of ice cream’s natural aging process, ice will separate from other ingredients such as cream and sugar. This explains why we see an ice buildup on ice cream that’s been in the freezer for a long time.

The x-ray machine at the institute in Switzerland allows Nestle to look at and record the size and shape of ice crystals and air bubbles in ice cream under home freezer conditions.

Nestle knows appearance and texture are important in ice cream. The temperature fluctuation found in most home freezers is not kind to either.

So will we soon see ice cream that is freezer burn-proof? Only time will tell. Yet, it’s nice to say people in the ice cream industry taking a look under the microscope in hopes of creating a better ice cream.