Bambi Eloriaga-Amago
Imagine it’s the height of summer, you’re on your way to the beach or a picnic and one of the food items you’ve packed in the trunk is… ice cream. Madness, right? Well, maybe in the next few years, this won’t be such a foolish idea.
Scientists are currently developing a way for ice cream to stay frozen longer and retain its silky texture even in high temperatures. This new and improved version of ice cream could be out in the market within three to five years.
We have researchers from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Dundee to thank for this breakthrough. They found that a naturally-occurring protein from “friendly” bacteria can bind together air, fat, and water.
By binding air bubbles with droplets of fat, which comes in the form of oil in the frozen treats, the protein helps keep the ice cream retain its shape and makes it stay frozen for a longer period of time. The protein also acts like a water-repellant, or like a rain coat, that prevents ice crystals from forming, helping the ice cream stay smooth.
Scientists surmise it’ll buy consumers extra minutes to enjoy their frozen treats. The ice cream, of course, will eventually melt, but at least it’ll stay frozen a lot longer even under the heat of the sun.
The use of the protein has dietary benefits as well.
“By using this protein, we’re replacing some of the fat molecules that are currently used to stabilise these oil and water mixtures so it can reduce the fat content, but it shouldn’t taste any different,” Professor Cait McPhee of the University of Edinburgh explained in an interview with the BBC.
Also, less sugar would be needed to produce this new kind of ice cream. Normally, a substantial amount of sugar is needed for flavor to be noticeable in frozen treats. But because the new product can now be made at a higher temperature, the amount of sugar used can also be lessened.
Less fat, less sugar? Indulging in ice cream won’t be such a guilty pleasure any more. Thank you, science!
