Psyllium husk and trehalose formulation for enhanced ice cream stability

Overview

This research investigates how psyllium husk powder combined with trehalose can enhance the stability of ice cream formulations. Dietary fibers such as psyllium husk offer valuable techno-functional properties including water and oil binding, emulsifying activity, gel formation, cryoprotection, thickening, and texturizing. These properties make dietary fibers useful for creating texture and stabilizing the ice cream matrix. Trehalose, a disaccharide with a higher glass transition temperature than sucrose, provides additional cryo- and thermo-protective benefits. Together, these ingredients may significantly improve ice cream quality during production and storage.

Technical specifications

Key formulation approach:

• Psyllium husk powder added at varying concentrations as a dietary fiber source with strong moisture absorption and viscosity-building properties
• Trehalose incorporated as a partial or full sucrose replacement to leverage its elevated glass transition temperature
• Standard ice cream recipe used as the baseline control for comparison
• Quality parameters to be measured include Brix, pH, viscosity, water activity, and color
• Glass transition temperature and microscopic structure tracked immediately after production and throughout storage
• Sensory evaluation conducted during and after storage to assess consumer-acceptable attributes
• Optimum formulation determined based on combined physicochemical and sensory data

Technology readiness level

This research is at an early experimental stage. The project begins with ingredient procurement and a detailed literature survey, followed by formulation trials using different concentrations of psyllium husk and trehalose in a standard ice cream recipe. Future validation will involve comprehensive quality measurements and sensory evaluations to determine the optimum formulation. The research is currently seeking collaboration and ingredient supply partnerships to advance the experimental work.