As the United States celebrates National Ice Cream week this week, the media is awash with reports from companies and associations boasting a multitude of reports linked to this popular food product.
Food ingredients company Danisco is no exception. On Tuesday the company announced the launch of a new coffee flavoured ice cream idea. Elevations 700, claims Danisco, allows the food manufacturer to "tap into consumers from both the coffee and ice cream markets with a cinnamon hazelnut coffee flavoured ice cream bar".Added to this is America's number one passion, chocolate.
"It's a very nice line extension for ice cream customers," said Cathy Miller, technical applications director for ingredients at Danisco. "Typically, we don't see a lot of coffee flavoured ice cream bars, and the bars we do see are not coated in chocolate," she continued.
Danisco claims that the stabiliser/emulsifier blend used in this concept provides maximum heat shock protection, minimises ice crystal formation and slows dripping. "The stabiliser can be used just like any other ice cream stabiliser," said Miller. "It doesn't require any special handling."
According to a statement, the emulsifier used in the chocolate coating, Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate (PGPR), provides moisture absorption, an easy-flowing, low-viscous coating, and low yield value. "We're finding that the coating adheres extremely well to the ice cream bar, with the addition of PGPR, while allowing for a higher yield value for the coating - one of the more expensive ingredients," commented Miller.
In terms of flavour addition, the coffee concentrate and the cinnamon hazelnut flavouring can be added together into the ice cream flavour tank. "This is a nice, indulgent alternative to capitalise on the popularity of flavoured coffee in an adult novelty treat," concluded Miller.