Physical characteristics of low-dairy, partial sucrose-substituted rice ice cream using young rice grain flour

Low-dairy and low-sugar products have gained in popularity as people become aware of health issues. In addition, some individuals choose to limit dairy due to milk protein allergy or lactose intolerance. Immature rice grains or young rice grains might be a milk alternative as they can contain higher levels of protein and lower allergenicity than mature rice grains. The objective of this study was to explore the impact of young rice grain flour (YRF) on a low-dairy, low-sugar rice ice cream product. The effect of YRF on physical properties, including pH, viscosity of the ice cream mix and the overrun, color, hardness, first dripping time, and melting behavior of ice cream were investigated. The young rice ice cream was made with 10% rice bran oil, 1% whey protein isolate, 17% sweetener, 0.6% stabilizer/emulsifier and 2.5-3.5% (w/w) YRF. The experimental results showed that pH decreased and viscosity increased (p<0.05) with higher YRF content. Ice cream with added YRF tended to have lower overrun, higher different total color (ΔE) compared to control (without YRF addition). The hardness and first dripping time of the young rice ice cream significantly increased (p<0.05) with increasing YRF content. Ice cream with 3.5% YRF melted faster than other formulas. This research demonstrated the potential of using young rice grain flour in low-dairy, low-sugar ice cream products for the first time. It introduces a novel application of young rice grain that has not been previously employed in ice cream production.