Defining creaminess in ice cream

Creaminess is a subjective term associated with consumer product acceptance. The objective of this study was to characterize consumer perception of creaminess in ice cream. Ice cream consumers were recruited for 4 2-h focus groups (n = 30), an online survey (n = 433), and a consumer acceptance test (n = 149). Descriptive analysis was also utilized to objectively characterize ice creams evaluated in the consumer acceptance test to assist with identification of objective attributes consumers associated with ice cream creaminess. The focus groups addressed consumer definitions of creaminess in ice cream as well as intrinsic and extrinsic cues consumers used to identify creamy ice cream. The online survey utilized select one and check-all-that-apply questions, sliding scales, a build-your-own exercise (BYO), 5-point agreement statements, a Maximum Difference exercise, and an ingredients list activity. The consumer acceptance test evaluated the overall liking and creaminess of 5 commercial vanilla ice creams based on appearance, scooping, aroma, and tasting. Focus groups confirmed creaminess as an ice cream descriptor and identified texture, temperature, and flavor components as important attributes. Survey participants identified texture and density/thickness as most important to the creaminess of ice cream, 74% and 61%, respectively. Vanilla was the creamiest ice cream flavor. In the BYO exercise, the creamiest vanilla ice cream was smooth, with a high-fat content, melted slowly, coated the mouth, was easy to scoop, dense/thick, and had a strong vanilla flavor. The creamiest vanilla ice cream ingredient list had the shortest list of ingredients and contained no stabilizers. In the consumer taste test, the creamiest ice cream (P < 0.05) was distinguished by the lowest spoon and mouth firmness, and the highest melted viscosity and mouthcoating by descriptive analysis (P < 0.05). Overall, consumers associated creaminess in ice cream most strongly with a dense, thick, and smooth texture, ease of scoopability, and a mouthcoating sensation.