Questions & Answers
from "On Ice Cream" featured in Dairy Foods magazine
and sourced from "On Ice Cream" technical short courses.

Ice Cream Inclusions:

Question: What are the optimum levels of particulate inclusions and variegating sauces for addition to ice cream?

Answer: The optimum level of any combination of nut, fruit, candy, cookie or cake bit and sauce is determined by what you are trying to achieve in the finished ice cream. It is important to deliver a product that meets or exceeds consumer expectations. This normally includes visual, body, texture, and flavor elements. If a scoop or serving of ice cream does not meet expectations, "the flavor promise," you have under or over delivered and modification of use rates should be considered. In lieu of any specific marketing or cost directives, 10% total particulate inclusions and 15% variegating sauce based on the weight of the ice cream are good places to start. Care is necessary as some times recommended use rates are given by volume or by volume or ice cream. Remember that when items are added singularly, or in combination to ice cream, actual use rates based on total weight of the finished food go down. Also, adding more inclusions may not necessarily deliver against the market positioning of the finished ice cream.

Question: When adding inclusions, what factors must be considered to ensure a high-quality, consumer-acceptable finished product?

Answer: It is very important to consider the flavor of the base ice cream. Factors such as base mix flavor, sweetness, quality and identity of added flavor not only effect the base ice cream flavor, they also impact final flavor delivery when inclusions are added. Additionally, because most inclusions and sauces are heavier than the ice cream being frozen, adjustment to meet finished product target weights must be considered. That may mean increasing overrun of the ice cream. Thus, all the quality elements in the base ice cream that are impacted by overrun become become critical factors to understand and control. It's also important to take into consideration other factors such as where, how and under what conditions the inclusions are being added. The design and capability of the equipment (fruit feeders and variegator systems) doing the injecting is also important. Additionally, the temperature of both inclusion and ice cream at point of injection are important to insure the proper amount, pattern and integrity of inclusions and ice cream. Impact on hardening times becomes a key quality concern. Once inclusions are added, key concerns include visual appeal, delivery of flavor quality, eating quality of inclusions, shelflife, heat shock impact (ice and sugar crystal formation, moisture migration between inclusions and between inclusions and ice cream) and potential loss of flavor impact. Finally, since most inclusions are more expensive than ice cream it is important to balance marketing needs with final product costs.