Abstract:
Ice cream, a popular frozen dairy dessert, now includes dry premixes for convenience.
However, current versions often lack optimal taste, texture, and stability. There is a need
for an improved soft-serve dry premix offering better flavor, consistency, shelf-life, and
affordability to meet consumer and food service demands more effectively. This study
developed a soft-serve ice cream dry premix aligned with Sri Lanka Standards Institution
(SLSI) guidelines, aimed at providing a convenient, cost-effective, and shelf-stable product
for consumers and manufacturers. The formulation included milk powder, sugar,
stabilizers, emulsifiers (Distilled Monoglyceride, Glycerol monostearate) and flavoring
agents to ensure a creamy texture, pleasant flavor, and extended shelf life. Novel to this
formulation was the addition of Palmyrah tuber flour, rich in dietary fiber, to enhance the
premix's nutritional profile. Substituting milk powder with Palmyrah flour at inclusion levels
of 10%, 15%, and 20% demonstrated nutritional enhancement. The treatment combination
with the highest overall acceptability was selected through sensory analysis. Data collected
by sensory were analyzed by Friedman non-parametric test with a 95% confidence interval.
Physiochemical parameters were tested for the control and three levels of Palmyrah flour
substitution, and the best one among them was selected. Microbiological analyses
confirmed the premix’s and microbial safety over a 28-days. Key findings indicate that the
formulation containing 12% fat with 100% DMG emulsifier (control) has the highest
sensory appeal, but 20% of Palmyrah Substituted sample resulted in high dry matter, crude
fat, fibre and protein, energy and ash. Although the inclusion of Palmyrah tuber flour
improved the nutritional profile, higher replacement levels negatively impacted taste and
texture, leading to lower acceptability in sensory evaluations. The study successfully
developed a soft-serve ice cream dry premix that aligns with Sri Lanka Standards Institution
(SLSI) guidelines, offering a convenient, cost-effective, and shelf-stable product, and the
formulation achieved a desirable creamy texture and flavor profile while enhancing
nutritional value.
