Fortifications in Ice-cream with Enhanced Functional Properties: A Review

Abstract

Enrichment of food by the addition of essential micro-nutrients like trace elements and vitamins to food is known as fortification. It can be carried out under initiatives such as Public Health Policy which aims in reducing the number of people with dietary deficiencies within a group of people or population. Ice-creams are well known dessert, and very much in demand among the children. So it is very important to keep its sensory factors in mind and make nutritive additions in it. To meet the demands of the consumers various natural ingredients are used to fortify ice-creams. Works have been done on combining ice-cream with biologically active molecules and produce functionally potential products. There are reports of making natural anti-oxidant ice-cream, experimenting it with cocoa powder, hazelnut, green-tea and ginger extract. Ice-cream fortification with fish-protein powder has turned to be effective in enhancing food value, but studies on its stability during storage and consumer acceptance are highly recommended. Researchers worked on incorporating dietary fibers in ice-cream like wheat, oats, bamboo, apple and orange. Its influence was checked on the basis of rheological, textural, sensory properties and probiotic culture survival of the ice-cream, to enhance the structural characteristics and cultural viability. Addition of Inulin in ice-creams as fat-replacers increased the viscosity and also made it resistant to melting. Hydrocolloids bind water and oil and adding them in ice-creams enhanced the micro-viscosity. Ice-creams were fortified with vitamins and minerals with successful attempts for example Vitamin D3, calcium and zinc fortifications. This study aims to review the various fortifications of ice-cream till date, using different nutritional components, hence fulfilling the nutritional needs of human-beings.