Let’s Talk Ice Cream Scientifically Speaking

Most of us don’t want to think much about ice cream. We just want to enjoy ice cream. Yet, science rests for no one and nothing, including ice cream.

Earlier this year, a new study was released from the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology in Spain. This study looked at the science of ice cream. Researchers discovered that graphs of changes in coldness, creaminess and texture can help manufacturers improve the quality of ice cream. No one should be against any improvements in ice cream.

Studying ice cream is not exactly a new thing. Over the last several years, ice cream manufacturers have been using a technique called “Temporal Dominance of Sensations” to monitor how consumers react to tasting a product. Researchers say part of accepting and enjoying ice cream is how it reacts to out palate and to the physical sensation of having it on our tongues.

Taking this a step further, researchers invited 85 people to take part in a taste test. All the participants were asked to describe how they felt when eating vanilla ice cream. Each participant used a screen to point out the dominant characteristic present during the eating experience. This includes reacting to creaminess, lack of smoothness, gumminess and other reactions to texture.

Ice cream makers can use this information to look at what happens when the basic ingredients of ice cream (cream, milk, sugar, thickening agents) are changed or tweaked. Those manufacturers are discovering that consumers can taste the difference. For instance, some manufacturers who mass-produce ice cream discovered how adding cream and thickening agents can alter creaminess and texture.

If you’ve had your fill of science for now, remember all ice cream at Praline’s has that rich, homemade taste that can’t be replicated in a lab. The freshest ingredients and pride in great ice cream is more than enough.