Functionality of sugars and sugar replacers in model frozen dessert systems

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Physical Chemistry

Background:

• Sugar is vital for frozen dessert texture, ice formation, and melting behavior.
• Reducing sugar presents formulation challenges due to sugar's functional roles.
• Understanding cryoprotectants is key for developing appealing low-sugar frozen desserts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of antifreeze agent concentration and molecular weight on frozen dessert properties.
• To analyze the influence of these agents on ice content, ice curve, and physical characteristics.
• To provide a theoretical framework for ice curve behavior in solutions with various antifreeze agents.

Main Methods:

• Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to determine ice content and extract effective hydration numbers.
• Physical properties including serum phase viscosity, hardness, and melting parameters were measured.
• Theoretical modeling of ice curves for solutions with different antifreeze agents was performed.

Main Results:

• Effective hydration number showed negative correlation with antifreeze agent concentration and positive correlation with molecular weight below 0°C.
• Frozen dessert hardness was influenced by both ice content and serum phase viscosity.
• Melting time correlated with ice content, while melting lag time was primarily affected by serum phase viscosity.

Conclusions:

• Antifreeze agent characteristics (concentration, molecular weight) significantly affect frozen dessert physical properties.
• Optimizing sugar-reduced frozen desserts necessitates careful consideration of solute properties for desired texture and melting profiles.
• Viscosity of the unfrozen phase plays a critical role in heat transfer and the initiation of melting.