The magic of emulsifiers and stabilisers in ice cream
How can emulsifiers help?
Multi-phase systems, whether they are water-in-oil, oil-in-water, solid-in-oil, or gas-in-liquid are inherently unstable. Emulsifiers, which are molecules with ambiphilic properties (part of structure is hydrophilic while other moieties are lipophilic), adopt a favourable position with respect to energy, reducing the surface tension between phases. In food products, the result is much greater stability – and that’s something that has far-reaching benefits.
Ice cream with emulsifiers gains:
- Heat Shock stability
- Creaminess and body
- Foam stability
- Stand-up properties
- Melting resistance
How do they work?
Emulsifiers commonly used in ice cream include mono-diglycerides (E471), lactic acid esters (E472b), propylene glycol esters (E477) and blends of these.
Mono- and diglyceride emusifiers:
- Provide optimum fat globular membrane composition
- Ensure protein desorption from fat globule surface
- Squeeze liquid fat out of fat globules
- Agglomerate fat globules
- Construct a 3D network for extra stability
What are stabilisers?
Stabilisers are water-soluble polysaccharide extracted from land or marine plants or from micro-organisms. They are used to influence the viscosity or gelling behaviour of solutions.
In ice cream production, stabilisers play many roles, supporting:
- Storage stability
- Control over ice crystal growth
- Reduced risk of shrinkage
- Improved melting resistance
- Modified sensory properties
- Stronger stand-up properties
A powerful combination
Carefully designed combinations of emulsifiers and stabilisers, together with the right recipe and production parameters, can help to ensure a more consistently high-quality eating experience that brings consumers back for more.
One such combination is Palsgaard® ExtruIce for ice cream, a fully integrated compound of emulsifiers and stabilisers that:
- Is easy dispersible
- Doesn’t require pre-blending
- Needs no de-blending during storage
- Won’t create dust in the factory
With application centres in Denmark, Mexico, Singapore, Russia and China, we'll be happy to help you create heat shock-stable recipes for your ice creams.
