Research Progress on Inhibition of Recrystallization of Ice Cream Crystals

Ice cream has the characteristic of thermodynamic instability. During processing, storage, transportation, and sales, temperature fluctuations cause recrystallization of ice crystals and then increase the average size of ice crystals, which leads to rough texture and poor taste of ice cream. Therefore, inhibiting the recrystallization of ice crystals in ice cream is the key to ensure the quality of ice cream. This paper reviews the formation mechanism and research progress of supercooling, nucleation, growth and recrystallization of ice crystals during freezing. The inhibitory effects of emulsifiers, stabilizers, sweeteners, and proteins in ice cream raw materials on ice crystal recrystallization are introduced in detail. Meanwhile, it also list the contents of freezing technologies such as ultrasonic assisted freezing, magnetic field assisted freezing, high-pressure assisted freezing, and electric field assisted freezing to inhibit ice cream recrystallization. The development direction of that is prospected, which provides a theoretical reference for adapting to the trend of online sales, developing new ice cream products and solving the problem of its crystal recrystallization.