Effect of Different Types of Stabilizers and Emulsifiers on the Quality and Characteristics of Ice Cream

Three different types of stabilizers carrageenan (ionic polysaccharide), guar gum (non-ionic polysaccharide) and gelatin (protein), and two types of emulsifiers glyceryl monostearate (MG, HLB = 3.8) and tween 80 (HLB = 15) were studied in the application in ice cream. The effects of stabilizers and emulsifiers on physical properties (viscosity, overrun and melting rate) and sensory properties (viscosity, smoothness, fusibility and grainy sense) of ice cream were investigated. MG induced higher overrun and better anti-melting property than tween 80, and similar viscosity of the ice cream mix were observed. Among the three stabilizers, carrageenan showed the most significant on viscosity (P<0.05), which also induced the best anti-melting property, with the melting rate as low as 4.7%. Guar gum showed the best effect on the overrun. The combination of MG and carrageenan resulted in mix viscosity and melting rate was the best, 898.35 cp and 4.74%, respectively. While the combination of MG and guar gum showed the highest overrun at 66.95%. Furthermore, combinations of MG as emulsifier and guar gum and carrageenan as stabilizer were investigated in ice cream. The results showed that the mass ratio of carrageenan to guar gum was 1:1.5 when the total amount of stabilizer was 0.25%, the mix viscosity (1036.5 cp), melting resistance (melting rate 17.4%) and the total sensory score of ice cream reached the highest.