Investigation of the use of microalgae in ice cream formulation

<span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Poppins; font-size: 14px;">Seaweeds have been used in human and animal nutrition since ancient times. Recently, the increase in consumer demands for healthy and nutritious food has led to the development of functional products in the market. The global market, especially for microalgae-based foods and supplements, has great growth potential. Since microalgae contain highly digestible proteins, minerals, vitamins, dietary fibres, carbohydrates and fats, their use as a healthy food supplement has become a trend. Microalgae find extensive applications across various industries owing to their abundant chemical composition and bioactive substance levels. Their abilities in gelling, thickening, and stabilizing have notably facilitated the creation of food additives like agar, alginate, and carrageenan. Furthermore, microalgae serve roles in the food sector as dietary supplements, additives, and natural colorants for functional food products. Ice cream is the most consumed milk dessert with a complex structure containing additives such as colorants, emulsifiers and stabilizers. In addition to its high sugar and fat content, the use of synthetic colorant, stabilizer and emulsifier additives negatively affects consumer preferences. For this reason, research on the use of alternative raw materials to replace fat and sugar by increasing the nutritional value of ice cream has increased recently. Microalgae are also used to improve health due to its functional properties such as antioxidant, anticancer and antiviral activities. The addition of microalgae to ice cream not only makes ice cream a rich source of nutrients, but also increases its preference as a natural colorant. Reducing or removing ice cream ingredients or adding unusual ingredients to the standard formulation should not impair the sensory properties and storage stability of the ice cream. This review has been prepared to bring a different perspective on the nutritional content of microalgae and their uses in the food industry, particularly in ice cream.</span><br>