Hydrodynamic cavitation: Process opportunities for ice-cream formulations

We report the viability of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC, 2400-3600 RPM/100-200 L h-1) to manufacture icecream with reduced stabilizer. The study was carried out at a pilot-scale level and consisted of determining the impact on particle size and rheological behavior of ice-cream mixes (ICM) and evaluating the resulting melting and meltdown behavior of ice-cream. Ice-cream manufactured with two-stage homogenization (2500/ 500 psi) was used as a control treatment. Overall, HC resulted in a larger mean particle size than the control mixes (3.52 +/- 0.28 and 0.34 +/- 0.02 mu m, respectively). Additionally, HC (3600 RPM/100 L h-1) changed the flow behavior of ICM from viscoelastic solid to viscoelastic liquid. Cavitated mixes resulted in a 2.2-fold viscosity increment within the high spectrum of shear rate (30-50 s-1) compared with the control mixes. These modifications altered the melting and meltdown characteristics of the resulting ice-cream. The analysis of the particle size and gross microstructure of dripped melted ice-creams suggested a significant collapse of the ice-cream structure, allowing clumps of fat to migrate into the melted phase. This study showed that HC might have the potential to develop novel structures for frozen desserts.

Automated summary

This study demonstrated the feasibility of using hydrodynamic cavitation to manufacture ice cream with reduced stabilizer, resulting in changes in particle size, rheological behavior, and melting characteristics of the ice cream. The cavitation process significantly altered the structure of the ice cream, potentially leading to the development of novel frozen dessert structures.