Ice cream, ice and sorbet Ingredients and additives

The choice of ingredients, from an extensive list to say the least, is one of the keys to success for a whole range of very different frozen desserts. The possible combinations are virtually infinite, and the selection made requires real expertise to satisfy the customer, respect material costs and constantly innovate in this sector. Indeed, French consumers are frequently impulse-buyers, looking for new sensory experiences every year. The proof is in the dynamics of innovation and the profusion of new products on this market, with the creation of summer and winter catalogs, in a country where the consumption of frozen desserts is still predominantly seasonal, contrary to the eating habits of Northern Europe and North America.

Within the constituents of a formula, a distinction must be made between :

• on the one hand, the raw materials that fulfill the main function sought, i.e. to provide a physico-chemical framework that is both complex to produce and stable over time (non-fat lactic dry extract, fats, sugars and water);

• and secondly, the other components of the formulation (additives, flavourings, even microorganisms such as probiotics) which, although added in relatively small doses, are nonetheless essential. This article reviews the list of ingredients and additives that can be incorporated into frozen dessert production, focusing in particular on the functionalities of each, with precise indications in terms of the objectives sought and dosages generally used.

A glossary of terms is provided at the end of the article.