Cellulose Gum in Ice Cream: Improving Texture and Stability

Cellulose Gum in Ice Cream: Improving Texture and Stability

Cellulose gum in ice cream is an important additive that can increase the overrun of ice cream, improve melting speed, and enhance its appearance and taste. At the same time, it effectively controls the size and growth of ice crystals during transportation and storage, ensuring the stability of the ice cream. Typically, an addition rate of 0.5% of the total amount is calculated, optimizing the overall quality of the ice cream without affecting its flavor.


Increase Overrun and Enhance Texture


Cellulose gum in ice cream can significantly increase the overrun, making the ice cream's texture lighter and more delicate. It stabilizes the distribution of air, preventing the expanded ice cream from collapsing easily, resulting in a dense and smooth mouthfeel without any roughness or sandy texture. This improvement makes the ice cream smoother and increases its fullness, enhancing the eating experience.


Control Melting Speed


Adding an appropriate amount of cellulose gum to ice cream can effectively slow down its melting speed. It allows the ice cream to maintain its shape at room temperature for a longer period, preventing it from quickly melting into liquid and causing inconvenience. This feature is especially important in summer or high-temperature environments, making it particularly suitable for takeaway or long-term display of ice cream products.


Stabilize Ice Crystals


Cellulose gum in ice cream can effectively control the growth of ice crystals during transportation and storage, maintaining a fine texture. Without this stabilizer, the ice cream can easily form larger ice crystals during freezing and thawing, resulting in a rough texture. The water-holding and dispersing properties of cellulose gum enable even binding of protein particles, fat globules, and water molecules, forming a stable structure and preventing excessive growth of ice crystals, ensuring a smooth and delicate texture with every bite.


Optimal Effect with Proper Addition


Cellulose gum in ice cream is generally added at a rate of 0.5% of the total amount. This ratio achieves the best balance, ensuring the texture and stability of the ice cream without affecting the flavor of other ingredients. Compared to locust bean gum, cellulose gum may have a more significant inhibitory effect on ice crystal growth. Compared to guar gum, it provides a similar chewiness but better uniformity.


Combine with Other Colloids


Cellulose gum in ice cream can be used alone or combined with other gums like locust bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan, etc., to form different gel structures. This combination can be adjusted according to specific needs to enhance certain characteristics, such as stronger stability or smoother texture. However, whether a gel is formed depends on the formulation needs and is not always the ideal choice. Although cellulose gum in ice cream is a synthetic product extracted from cotton and wood pulp, it is a food additive certified for safety.


As a safe and effective food additive, cellulose gum in ice cream can significantly improve product quality in ice cream production while meeting food safety standards. Its addition not only enhances the stability and taste of ice cream but also provides consumers with a more lasting delicious experience.