Licorice extract/whey protein isolate/sodium alginate ternary complex-based bioactive food foams as a novel strategy to substitute fat and sugar in ice cream

This study deals with the effect of whey protein isolate/sodium alginate/licorice root extract ternary foam as a fat and sugar replacer at different substitution levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% w/w) on the physicochemical, rheological, and sensory properties of ice creams. The foam-loaded ice cream mixes showed significantly lower density and higher apparent viscosity compared to the control sample. The low-fat and low-sugar ice creams had manifestly higher elastic (GMODIFIER LETTER PRIME) and viscous (GMODIFIER LETTER PRIMEMODIFIER LETTER PRIME) values than the control ice cream. The overrun (up to 51.03%), gas-hold up (up to 33.76%), and hardness (up to 18.43-fold) increased, and caloric value (167.43-48.37 kcal/ 100 g), meltdown (85.04-29.83%), and overall acceptance (8.88-2.66) reduced by increasing the substitution level. However, the ice cream with a 25% substitution level of sugar and fat by the foam had textural and sensory characteristics similar to that of the control sample (p > 0.05). Therefore, the foam-loaded ice creams could be marketed as a functional product in the future, particularly aiming at specific populations such as people who suffer from overweight, obesity, or other related complications.

Automated summary

This study examined the effects of whey protein isolate/sodium alginate/licorice root extract ternary foam as a fat and sugar replacer on the properties of ice creams. The results showed that increasing the substitution level led to changes in the physicochemical, rheological, and sensory properties of the ice creams. However, ice creams with 25% substitution of sugar and fat by the foam were similar to the control sample.