Application

Ice Cream

1. Applications in the Ice Cream Industry

Xanthan gum is a crucial functional additive in ice cream production, contributing significantly to texture, stability, and shelf-life improvement:
  • Enhances creaminess and texture: It binds water molecules to form a uniform colloidal structure, reducing the size of ice crystals in ice cream. This creates a smooth, creamy mouthfeel instead of a grainy or icy texture.
  • Improves melting resistance: By increasing the viscosity of the ice cream mix, it slows down the melting rate. This helps maintain the product’s shape during storage, transportation, and consumption, especially in warm environments.
  • Boosts stability and prevents syneresis: It prevents the separation of water and fat components, avoiding issues like "weepage" (water oozing out) or fat blooming. This ensures consistent quality throughout the product’s shelf life.

2. Recommended Addition Levels

The addition amount of xanthan gum in ice cream is strictly regulated to balance functionality and sensory quality, with typical ranges based on product types:
  • Regular hard ice cream (e.g., vanilla, chocolate ice cream): 0.05% - 0.15% of the total ice cream mix weight. Low dosage enhances creaminess without making the mix overly thick, which could affect freezing efficiency.
  • Soft-serve ice cream: 0.08% - 0.2%. This slightly higher range improves the mix’s flowability (critical for soft-serve machines) while maintaining a smooth, light texture.
  • Premium or high-fat ice cream (e.g., gelato, ice cream with mix-ins like nuts/fruit): 0.1% - 0.25%. Higher levels help suspend mix-ins evenly and reinforce the creamy texture, offsetting the potential for fat separation in high-fat formulas.
Note: All addition levels must comply with regional food safety standards (e.g., FDA in the U.S., EFSA in the EU, GB standards in China). They also need to be adjusted based on the ice cream’s fat content, mix-in ingredients (e.g., chocolate chips, fruit pieces), and desired melting performance.
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