Preparation and evaluation of low-calorie functional ice cream containing inulin, lactulose and Bifidobacterium lactis

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of replacing 5% fat and sugar by inulin and lactulose, respectively, on the survival of Bifidobacterium lactis and physicochemical and sensorial characteristics of the ice cream. Total solids, pH, melting rate and sensory scores of low-fat and/or low-sugar ice cream samples did not differ significantly from the control. Overrun and hardness of low-fat samples were significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.01). The viable counts of B.lactis in the low-sugar synbiotic ice creams were significantly lower than that of other groups at the end of 90-day storage (P<0.01).