Interfacial perspective: Modulation of fat crystallization behavior and stability of yeast proteins ice cream by...

This study investigated the effects of sucrose esters with varying hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) values on the fat crystallization behavior and stability of yeast proteins (YPs)-based ice cream from an interfacial perspective. The results demonstrated that sucrose esters with low HLB values (HLB<7) exhibited a synergistic adsorption with YPs at the interface, whereas those with higher HLB values (HLB≥7) displayed competitive adsorption with YPs. As the HLB value increased, the γ_max and γ_∞ of the pre-whipped emulsion interface gradually decreased, whereas the RS increased. The fat crystallization behavior analysis of aged pre-whipped emulsions revealed that samples containing sucrose esters with higher HLB values exhibited lower T_cr, P₁, P₂ and n, along with a higher k, resulting in the formation of smaller and more uniformly distributed fat crystals. The overrun in the YPs-S1570 ice cream increased from 70.76 % to 96.63 %, while the hardness decreased from 1644.25 g to 731.25 g. Therefore, when YPs are combined with appropriate HLB values (HLB=15) of sucrose esters, high-quality ice cream can be produced. This provides a new reference for alternative protein-based frozen desserts.