Ice-Cream Mixes with Modified Carbohydrate Composition: Evaluating Cryoscopic Temperature

Low-molecular-weight sugars reduce the freezing point of ice cream, as well as its freezer drawing temperature. This article describes the effect of sucrose on the freezing process parameters of ice-cream mixes. As the trend toward lower sucrose and lactose consumption persists, the aim of this study was to evaluate the freezing point of sucrose-free and low-sucrose ice-cream mixes, as well as that of ice cream with hydrolyzed lactose. Cryoscopic and computational methods were used to determine the freezing point of the ice-cream mixes. A cryoscopic test revealed that the freezing point of ice-cream mixes in which sucrose was replaced by dietary fiber and the sugar alcohols sorbitol and xylitol decreased by 1.1–1.4 °C compared to that of a traditional product. When 10% maltitol partially replaced sucrose, the freezing point increased by 0.6 °C. Replacing sugar with polydextrose and whey protein concentrate containing lactose and mineral salts resulted in a 0.7–1.0 °C decrease. During lactose hydrolysis, this parameter decreased by 0.4 °C. The resulting equation made it possible to calculate the freezing point depression directly at the plant. It took into account the cryoscopic constant, the mass and molecular mass of the solute, and the mass of solvent per 1 kg of the mix. First, the equation calculated the freezing point depression caused by each solute and then determined its total value based on the additivity of this parameter. The cryoscopic temperature of sucrosefree and low-sucrose ice cream correlated with an optimal sweetness and solids content. The calculated and experimental values differed by less than 0.1 °C. The ice-cream mixes with the low-molecular-weight sweetener erythritol and a low sucrose content (5%) had a freezing point that increased by 1.59 °C, while the sucrosefree sample demonstrated a 0.89 °C increase. The freezing-point equation allows producers to conveniently calculate this indicator during the production stage.