International Dairy Journal 57 (2016) 52e55

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International Dairy Journal

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/idairyj

The effect of inulin on the physicochemical properties and sensory

attributes of low-fat ice cream
Mehdi Akbari a, Mohammad Hadi Eskandari a, *, Mehrdad Niakosari a,
Alireza Bedeltavana b
a
Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
b
Department of Research and Development, Zarrin-Ghazal Co., Shiraz, Iran

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of replacing the ice cream fat with inulin to
Received 13 October 2015 produce a low-fat ice cream with prebiotic properties. For this purpose, inulin (2, 3 and 4%, w/w) was
Received in revised form added to the low-fat ice cream and the physicochemical and sensory properties of the resultant ice
16 February 2016
creams were compared with those of control ice cream (containing 10% fat) and the inulin-free low-fat
Accepted 17 February 2016
Available online 27 February 2016
ice cream. The composition, pH and acidity of the ice cream mixes were measured and the melting rate,
colour and texture of the frozen ice cream samples were examined. The results indicated that the low-fat
ice creams had a significantly lower melting rate in comparison with the control. Inulin addition caused
the adhesiveness and hardness of the low-fat ice creams to decrease significantly compared with inulin-
free low-fat ice cream.
© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction polymerisation degree ranges from 2 to 60 units, with the

approximate mean of 12 (Gonzalez-Tomas, Bayyari, & Costell,
During recent years, consumers have been increasingly inter- 2009).
ested in consumption of low-fat food products as the intake of such The use of inulin is not restricted to its properties as a fat
products decrease the risk of obesity and cardiovascular diseases replacer and because recent research has indicated its prebiotic
(Akalin, Karago € zlü, & Ünal, 2008). Ice cream has not been an properties, inulin is now considered to be a functional ingredient
exception and many studies have been carried out to reduce its fat (Roberfroid, 2002). The objective of this study was to investigate
content. However, owing to the important and key role of fat in the possibility of substituting the ice cream fat with inulin to
improving the texture and flavour of ice cream, removal or reduc- manufacture a low-fat ice cream with prebiotic properties through
tion of its fat content causes many defects in the final quality of this scrutinising the effect of this substitution on the physicochemical
product (Berger, 1990; Marshall & Arbuckle, 1996). As a result, and sensory attributes of the ice cream.
many fat replacers are utilised in ice cream formulations, so that the
undesirable properties of the final product arisen from fat reduc- 2. Materials and methods
tion can be mitigated. Inulin is a unique fat replacer in this regard
and can have an important role in improving ice cream texture due 2.1. Materials
to its ability to bind water molecules and form a gel network
(Franck, 2002). The following materials were used for the production of the ice
Inulin is found either as naturally occurring carbohydrate in creams: water, skimmed milk powder (SMP), vegetable oil (palm
plants or as exopolysaccharide (EPS) in some microorganisms. kernel oil), sugar, 42 dextrose equivalent (DE) glucose syrup (all
Structurally, inulin is a linear polymer of fructose molecules that supplied by Zarrin-Ghazal Co., Shiraz, Iran), inulin (inulin TEX,
usually contains a glucose molecule at its terminal. The molecular weight 3300, degree of polymerisation > 20; Sensus Co.,
Roosendaal, NB, The Netherlands) and the mixture of emulsifier
and stabiliser (Panisol EX, Danisco A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark)
* Corresponding author. Tel.: þ98 7136280913. consisting of mono- and diglycerides, carrageenan, guar and
E-mail address: [email protected] (M.H. Eskandari). carob gums.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.idairyj.2016.02.040
0958-6946/© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
 M. Akbari et al. / International Dairy Journal 57 (2016) 52e55 53

2.2. Ice cream production were immediately placed in the chamber in which they were uni-
formly illuminated from all directions. After image acquisition, the
In this study, 5 ice cream formulations were developed to colour parameters of the images, namely, a*, b* and L*, were
observe and evaluate the sensory and physicochemical properties extracted. These parameters represent the redness, yellowness and
of the low-fat ice creams (low-fat ice creams containing inulin at lightness of the samples, respectively. The colour was measured in
different levels). First, the control sample containing 10% fat was triplicate on each sample (Yam & Papadakis, 2004).
produced. In the second formulation, the fat content of the ice
cream was reduced to 2% (without the incorporation of inulin as the 2.5. Melting rate
fat replacer) to examine the overall effect of the fat reduction on the
physicochemical and sensory attributes of a low-fat ice cream. The ice cream samples with the volume of 175 mL were stored at
Inulin was incorporated into the third, fourth and fifth treatments 18  C for 7 d. The samples were then placed on a 1 mm stainless
at 2, 3 and 4%, respectively, so that the optimum inulin amount, steel mesh at ambient temperature (20 ± 1  C) until 50% of the ice
substituting for a certain amount of vegetable oil, could be speci- cream was melted and weight of the melted ice cream was recorded
fied. All of the above formulations were also produced with 15% every 10 min. The plot of the percentage of the melted ice cream
sugar, 3% glucose syrup, 10% skim milk powder. 0.5% stabiliser/ versus time was developed, the slope of the linear part of the plot
emulsifier blend and 0.1% vanillin. indicating the melting rate (g min1; Di Criscio et al., 2010). Mea-
The ice cream samples were manufactured according to the surements were done in triplicate.
industrial process in the R&D department of Zarrin-Ghazal Co. at
pilot plant scale (25 kg). Based on the treatments, the ingredients of 2.6. Texture analysis
the ice creams were mixed at 60  C for 10 min and after homoge-
nisation (100 L h1 capacity; APV, Denmark) with a suitable pres- Texture analysis was evaluated on frozen ice cream samples
sure (depending on fat content), the ice cream mixes were stored at 18  C for 1 month. Measurements were performed at
pasteurised (100 L h1 capacity; APV) at 85  C for 15 s. Then, the ice ambient temperature (20 ± 1  C) using a texture analyser (Model
cream mixes were cooled to 4 ± 1  C and aged at this temperature CT3, Brookfield Engineering Laboratories Inc., Middleboro, MA,
for 24 h. After that, a required amount of each mix was set aside for USA) equipped with a cylindrical probe with the diameter of 2.5 cm.
physicochemical analyses and the remaining portion were frozen The ice cream samples were transferred to 10  C, 24 h before
using a continuous ice cream freezer (150 L h1 capacity; FARCK analysis. The texture analysis circumstances were as follows:
S.p.A., Pianengo, CR, Italy) to the ice cream production. Semi-frozen penetration depth, 15 mm; force, 5 g; probe speed during pene-
ice cream was packaged in 175 mL plastic bags and the overrun of tration, 3.3 mm s1; probe speed before and after penetration,
the samples was measured. Only the ice creams with 75% overrun 3 mm s1. The samples, kept in plastic vessels, were penetrated
were hardened and stored at 18  C to remove the overrun effect from two spots on the biggest soft surfaces and 4 measurements
on the textural properties of the samples. Overrun was measured were recorded for each sample. Hardness was considered as the
by the following equation: peak pressure force (g) during penetration and adhesiveness was
regarded as the negative peak force (g) during the probe return
Overrun% ¼ ½ðweight of ice cream mixÞ (Akalin et al., 2008).
 ðweight of ice creamÞ  100
2.7. Sensory evaluation
 ðweight of ice creamÞ1
The ice cream samples were stored at 18  C for 20 d and
sensory assessments were performed by 12 trained panellists (6
men and 6 women) at Zarrin-Ghazal Co. according to the Iranian
2.3. Chemical properties and specific gravity national standard (Ice cream standard NO: 2450). All samples were
coded with three random digit numbers and the serving order was
The chemical properties of the ice cream mixes (pH, titratable also randomised. A 5-point hedonic scale was employed for the
acidity as lactic acid, fat content and total solids) were measured evaluation of appearance, texture, flavour and melting rate of ice
according to the Iranian national standard (Ice cream standard NO: cream samples.
2450). Based on the pycnometer method, the pycnometer was first
weighed empty, then it was filled once by distilled water and once 2.8. Statistical analyses
by the ice cream mix at 25  C and weighed each time. The specific
gravity (SG; density relative to water) of the mix was measured by Statistical analyses of the data were performed with the SAS
the following equation: software (SA Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Duncan's multiple range
test was used to compare the means when a significant variation
SG ¼ ðG3  G1 Þ=ðG2  G1 Þ was established by analysis of variance (ANOVA) at the significance
level 0.05.
where G1, G2 and G3 are the weights of the empty pycnometer, the
pycnometer plus distilled water and the pycnometer plus ice cream
3. Results and discussion
mix, respectively (Marshall & Arbuckle, 1996). Measurements were
done in triplicate.
3.1. Chemical analyses and density

2.4. Colour The pH and acidity of various treatments did not differ signifi-
cantly. The natural titratable acidity of the ice cream mixes
Image acquisition was performed in a special chamber under depended on the ice cream MSNF percentage and could be theo-
controlled conditions. The captured images were analysed by retically calculated through multiplication of the milk solids not fat
Photoshop software version CS6 (Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, CA, (MSNF) percentage by 0.017 (Goff & Hartel, 2013). The results
USA). After the storage at 18  C, the frozen ice cream samples demonstrated that the fat reduction as well as the rise in the inulin
54 M. Akbari et al. / International Dairy Journal 57 (2016) 52e55

content in different levels increased the ice cream density signifi- Therefore less fat content was probably the main reason for the
cantly. The fat density is less than that of all the other ingredients of higher melting rate of the low-fat ice cream compared with that of
ice cream. Thus, as the fat content decreased, the density increased the control ice cream. Inulin addition had no effect on melting rate
(the fat density is nearly 0.9 g mL1). The higher density of inulin of the inulin-containing low-fat ice creams as compared with the
than that of water was the reason for the higher density of the inulin-free low-fat ice cream one (P < 0.05).
inulin-containing mixes than that of the inulin-free one. Density or
specific gravity of an ice cream mix differs depending on its in- 3.4. Hardness and adhesiveness
gredients. An ice cream mix density may vary from 1.05 to
1.12 g mL1, with an average approximately 1.1 g mL1 for a 10% fat The inulin-free low-fat ice cream was significantly harder than
mix (Goff & Hartel, 2013). the control ice cream (P < 0.05). This was consistent with the results
acquired by Guinard et al. (1997) who reported that the hardness of
3.2. Colour the ice cream texture is inversely correlated with the fat content
and since the rise in the fat content reduces the ice crystals volume,
Fat reduction and inulin increment did not influence the redness the increase of the ice crystals could probably lead to a harder
(a*) of the low-fat ice creams as compared with the control, texture.
whereas fat reduction caused the mean value of yellowness of the In addition, the hardness of the inulin-containing low-fat ice
low-fat ice creams to significantly decrease (P < 0.05) since the creams was significantly lower than that of the inulin-free ice
yellowness of ice cream is proportionate to its fat content. These cream (P < 0.05). Water absorption by inulin, and hence the in-
results are in accordance with those reported by Akalin et al. (2008) crease of unfrozen water content and consequently the decrease of
who conducted research on the rheological properties of low-fat ice the ice crystals in ice cream structure, could probably be the reason
creams consisting of inulin and whey protein isolate (WPI) and of the lower hardness of the inulin-containing low-fat ice creams
concluded that the b* (yellowness parameter) of the ice cream compared with the inulin-free ice cream. An alternative reason for
containing 10% fat was significantly higher than that of the the decrease in hardness of low-fat ice creams containing inulin
reduced-fat ice creams as well as the low-fat ice creams that con- may be related to decreases in freezing points as a result of higher
tained inulin and WPI (Akalin et al., 2008). solute concentrations.
Adhesiveness followed a trend similar to that of the hardness of
3.3. Melting rate the samples. Addition of inulin in different levels led to a lower
adhesiveness for the low-fat ice creams containing inulin rather
Based on the results on the melting rate of the ice cream sam- than the inulin-free ice cream. Nonetheless, the adhesiveness of the
ples, it was found that the weight of the melted control ice cream inulin-containing ice creams was significantly higher than that of
was significantly less than that of the other treatments at all times the control ice cream (P < 0.05; Table 1).
(P < 0.05; Fig. 1). Melting rate is influenced by many factors. The
ability of heat to penetrate into the ice cream (thermal diffusivity) is 3.5. Sensory evaluation
a factor that affects meltdown rate and there is a direct relation
between both of them. Higher overrun also decreases meltdown The results of the sensory evaluation of the ice cream samples
rate because it can decrease thermal diffusivity, but in this study are summarised in Table 2. The appearance of the samples con-
the overrun of all of the ice cream samples was similar and so the taining 2 and 4% inulin was not significantly different from that of
overrun effect on meltdown rate was removed. the control ice cream (P < 0.05). The sensory evaluation of the
Milk fat or vegetable oils reduce the heat transfer rate through texture and appearance of the ice cream samples was carried out by
the ice cream; then, as the fat content of an ice cream increases, its the panellists in terms of softness, toughness, adhesiveness, sand-
melting rate decreases. Moreover, it has been suggested that fat iness and relative size distribution of the ice crystals. The results
globule clusters and agglomerates can stabilise air bubbles in ice demonstrated that the inulin-free low-fat ice cream attained a
cream structure and consequently decrease the melting rate. significantly lower average score than the control ice cream.
Despite this, the low-fat ice creams consisting of different levels of
inulin did not have any significant difference from the control ice
cream (P < 0.05).
The average score of the flavour of the ice cream samples fol-
lowed a trend similar to that of the texture of the samples; the
incorporation of inulin caused the flavour of the samples with 3 and
4% inulin to be preferred by the panellists to that of the inulin-free
low-fat ice cream. The principal reason for the off-flavour of the
inulin-free low-fat ice cream and the ice creams with 2% inulin is
most likely to be the rise in the ice crystal growth in the ice cream,
which could influence the flavour and odour of the sample. These
results were comparable with those obtained by Schaller-Povolny
and Smith (1999) who studied the impact of the substitution of
inulin with corn syrup in low-fat ice cream using sensory evalua-
tion and found that replacing 50 or 100% of corn syrup with inulin
improved the sensory attributes of vanilla low-fat ice cream.
Schaller-Povolny and Smith (1999) also stated that the partial or
complete substitution of corn syrup with inulin prevented the
formation of ice crystals in the product during storage.
Fig. 1. Weight percentage of the melted ice cream in the ice cream samples at different
durations: -, control ice cream; :, inulin-free low fat ice cream; ▬, low fat ice cream
The average score obtained from the sensory evaluation of the
containing 2% inulin; A, low fat ice cream containing 3% inulin, C, low fat ice cream melting properties of ice creams conformed to the results of the
containing 4% inulin. examination of melting rate as the inulin-free low-fat ice cream and
 M. Akbari et al. / International Dairy Journal 57 (2016) 52e55 55

Table 1
The hardness and adhesiveness of the frozen ice cream samples.a

Treatments Control LF-I0 LF-I2 LF-I3 LF-I4

Hardness 965 ± 35c 1827 ± 150a 1312 ± 68b 1300 ± 50b 1150 ± 100b
Adhesiveness 342 ± 18c 584 ± 21c 389 ± 25c 398 ± 30c 408 ± 10c
a
Abbreviations are: LF-I0, inulin-free low fat ice cream; LF-I2, low fat ice cream containing 2% inulin; LF-I3, low fat ice cream containing 3% inulin; LF-I4, low fat ice cream
containing 4% inulin. Values are the mean ± SD (n ¼ 3); different superscript letters show the significant differences (P < 0.05) in a row.

Table 2 the inulin content caused the hardness of the inulin-containing

The scores relating to the sensory attributes of the ice cream samples.a samples to decrease significantly compared with that of the
Ice cream Appearance Texture Flavour Melting properties inulin-free low-fat ice cream.
a a a
Control 4.5 ± 0.9 4.25 ± 0.86 4.5 ± 0.52 4.25 ± 0.86a
LF-I0 3.25 ± 1.54b 2.75 ± 1.13b 3.75 ± 0.86b 3.00 ± 1.95b
Acknowledgements
LF-I2 3.5 ± 1.16ab 3.25 ± 0.86ab 3.5 ± 0.52b 2.75 ± 1.75b
LF-I3 3.00 ± 1.47b 3.50 ± 1.73ab 4.00 ± 0.73ab 2.75 ± 1.86b
LF-I4 3.75 ± 0.86ab 3.75 ± 0.86ab 4.00 ± 0.73ab 4.25 ± 0.86a The authors thank the Zarrin-Ghazal Co. managers (Ali
a
Abbreviations are: LF-I0, inulin-free low fat ice cream; LF-I2, low fat ice cream
Mohammad Ebrahimi, Mohammad Mahdi Misagh and Farnoush
containing 2% inulin; LF-I3, low fat ice cream containing 3% inulin; LF-I4, low fat ice Bazeghi) for their financial support for this study.
cream containing 4% inulin. Scores were on a scale of 1e5; values are the mean ± SD
(n ¼ 3), different superscript letters show significant differences (P < 0.05) in a
column. References

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