Imagine if you could indulge in your favorite ice cream on a hot summer day, and not have to worry about it melting and making a mess. Well this could be true thanks to “No-melt ice cream”.
Dr. Cameron Wicks is originally from Dallas Texas and started her ice cream journey at Purdue University. Where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in food science. While there Wicks and others came up with a new ice cream recipe for the Purdue University Creamery. This was a part of her Capstone course, and would be a catalyst for her continuation in ice cream.
Dr. Wicks later found Professor Richard Bartels lab which studies ice cream, chocolate, and candy at UW-Madison. She then decided that she would continue her education with getting her Masters and PHD for Food Science in America’s Dairyland.
“I’ve always been interested in food science and I’ve always been interested in how we can make things better.” Dr. Wicks tell us. “I wanted to bring more delight to the everyday consumer, and I really wanted to learn more about ice cream in this way.”
Why No Melt?
While being immersed in her studies, she had come across some research on a new product being made by researchers in Japan. This product was “no-melt ice cream”. This immediately piqued Wicks interest and decided to dive deeper into how this could possibly work. Seeing that the Ice cream they made seemed to hold its shape predation over time in warm conditions.
In order to conduct research you need funding. Therefore Wicks and a group of students wrote a grant to the USDA which approved their proposal and provided funding for their research.
“My job was to dig deep and figure out A. why is this happening and B. what parameters do you need to pull to get a product like that.” Dr. Wicks explains.
When conducting this research, the component that played a role in this no-melt ice cream keeping its shape is polyphenols. Polyphenols are natural compounds found in foods such as berries, apples, soybeans, olives, and many more. Polyphenols are a part of a healthy diet.
Does it Work?
“We learned that when you put these in there it affects the fat proteins at the fat globule interface.” Dr. Wicks informs us on just what exactly is taking place. “And it causes the globules to arrogate together to create this really strong network that helps the ice cream keep its shape, even when it starts to melt.”
But the work did not stop there. After learning what the mechanism was, Dr. Wicks’ next goal was to find the best ways to create this product. Not only to create the best formula but she also looked into polyphenol sources and how to incorporate those as well. She used sources such as green tea, blueberry, and even cranberry extracts.
Dr. Wicks was happy to report that she created a product that withheld its shape after 4 hours and only lost 10% of its total weight.
“It was great to be able to get a positive result like that”. Dr. Wicks highlights. “I’m glad I had the chance to be able to pioneer this space.”
Leave a Reply