Dairy product: Ice cream

Ice cream is a frozen dairy product made by freezing the ice cream mix with agitation. It is composed of a mixture of food ingredients like milk products, sweetening materials, stabilizers, colors, flavors, and egg products. This sweetened frozen food mostly eaten as a snack or dessert.

Milk and cream constitute the most important components because they furnish the basic ingredients for a good quality ice cream. Milk fat interacts with other ingredients to develop the texture, mouthfeel, creaminess, and overall sensations of lubricity.

Variables related to dairy ingredients exert a profound influence on the flavor, body, and texture of the frozen product. The fat content can influence the size of the ice crystals. Fat globules could mechanically impede the ice crystal growth.

Ice cream is typically sweetened with sugar or sugar alternatives. In all these products a sugar solution is the common denominator. The characteristics of the syrup are manipulated by the addition of other materials to obtain desired taste, texture, consistency, and appearance. Flavorings and colorings are added in combination to stabilizers and emulsifiers.

Ice cream is manufactured as regular, custard/French, reduced fat, light, low, and no-fat versions. Ice cream had its origins in Europe and was introduced later to the United States where it developed into an industry. Although ice cream is a popular frozen dessert in all parts of the world, the major consumer countries of ice cream are New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Finland, and Sweden.

The popularity of ice cream results from several characteristics such as partial freezing, cooling, and refreshing sensation produced when the product is consumed, its sweet taste and the lack of a preconditioning aroma.

A big reason why ice cream tastes so good is because of its high fat content. Unless it is labeled as light, low-fat, or non-fat ice cream must contain at least 10% fat, and this fat must come from milk.
Dairy product: Ice cream

What is reconstituted milk?

“Reconstituted milk or milk product” means a product resulting from the addition of potable water to the dried or concentrated form of milk or milk products in the amount necessary to re-establish the appropriate water-to-solids ratio to achieve similar end product characteristics and appropriate milk product composition as per the standards for that product.

The milk is prepared from butterfat, dried skim milk and water by means of emulsifying apparatus. Reconstituted milks become necessary when there are seasonal shortages of fresh milk or when the local demand depends entirely on imported milk powder.

Reconstituted milk products are used as concentrated sources of milk components for standardization of milk supplies to improve the consistency and efficiency of manufacturing operations.
What is reconstituted milk?

What are the main ingredients in ice cream?

To manufacture ice cream of the highest quality, it is essential to have ingredients of excellent quality, a mix that is formulated and balance to provide proper function of each component, and excellent processing, freezing, and hardening processes.

Regular ice cream may contain about 10% butterfat (added ice cream, milk or skimmed milk, sugars (sucrose and/or dextrose) gelatin or vegetable gums (to provide body), eggs and flavoring such as vanilla, fruit, fruit extract, fruit juices, cocoa, chocolate and nuts.

Most ice cream also contain a significant proportion (by volume of air), although this is not usually thought of as an ingredient.

Organic dried dates, figs, apricots, and raisin dried without sulfur dioxide are great sweetener options. Pureed dried fruits can be used because it adds a rich texture and a satisfying sweetness.

The clean, fresh creamy flavor desire in ice cream can be achieved only by the use of ingredients that have been carefully produce and handled and are themselves of excellent flavor quality.

Other than major ingredients in ice cream, there are also minor ingredients, present in small quantities less than 1% by weight, such as emulsifiers, stabilizers, and colors.
What are the main ingredients in ice cream?

Milk quality for production of cottage cheese

This soft unripe cheese is made from skim milk (or reconstituted dry skim milk in some countries) using lactic acid bacteria and a small amount if any rennet.

High quality Grade A skim milk must be used to make cottage cheese curds because:
*It is the law
*High-quality cheese cannot be made from interior milk
*Fat softens the curd

The incoming raw milk must be of high quality with regard to aroma, flavor, titrable acidity (TA, between 0.12 and 0.16), total solids, microbial counts (ideally less than 50,000 per mL).

In addition to the microbial quality of the milk, its dry matter content is important on relation to product quality and yield.

For use in the production of cottage cheese, milk is usually pasteurized to inactivate pathogenic and spoilage bacteria that may be present.
Milk quality for production of cottage cheese

Cheese in fast food products

Cheese is perfect for breakfast, either ‘cold’ in continental style breakfast or toasted. With all the essential amino acids for health and an excellent source of vitamin D, cheese is highly nutritious food which should be included in any healthy diet.

Cheese or cheese products are frequently used as ingredients, side, or toppings in many fast foods, including bagels, hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, sandwiches, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, salads, KFC’s doubledown, string cheese, and many breakfast sandwiches.

The Grilled Cheese sandwiched is one of the McDonald’s most famous ‘secret menu’ items. The McDonald Grilled Cheese sandwich is simply cheese onside of grilled hamburger buns.

Cheese also used on French fries to make cheese fries and poutine.

Cheese is used on corn chips to make nachos, as well as in some fast food salads and salad dressings, such as blue cheese dressing, and dips. Frito pie and deep-fried cheese have become favorites at many regional state fairs.

In most cases, the cheese used in fast foods is processed cheese. Some fast-food establishments use imitation cheese or combinations of imitation cheese and regular dairy cheese in their cheese-containing products.

Cheddar cheese and Swiss cheese are commonly used in fast food industry.
Cheese in fast food products 

Nonfat Dry Milk Powder in muffin

Milk powder represents 5% to 12% of the muffin batter based on flour at 100%.

Milk powder is added to dry ingredients and water or fruit juice is used for liquid in muffins formulas.

Nonfat milk has had most or all the fat removed. On the other hand, the milk provides protein, carbohydrates, minerals and some B-complex vitamins.

Milk powder binds flour protein to provide strength, body and resilience – qualities helpful in reducing damage during packing and shipping.

In addition, milk powder enhancing flavor and retains moisture.

Upon heating, the aldehydes group from lactose in milk combines with the amino group protein contributing to Maillard browning.
Nonfat Dry Milk Powder in muffin 

Cheese for pizza

Almost all pizza packaging and commercials show a pizza slice lifted off the pan with strands of melted mozzarella cheese stretching out from the slice to the pan.

Apparently, this stretchy quality enhances consumer appeal for pizza and other prepared foods containing mozzarella cheese. Part skim mozzarella works better than whole milk because the amount of fat in the whole milk mozzarella makes the cheese gray and transparent; the part skim stays whiter.

Regular mozzarella or pizza cheese has a semisoft, elastic texture and is drier and not as delicately flavored as fresh mozzarella.

It is a popular cheese for pizza because it has excellent melting quality. Meltability depends on the proteolytic activity of the culture, fat content, and moisture content of the cheese.

Other cheeses, such as cheddar are being used increasingly on pizza pie to impart more cheese flavor.
Cheese for pizza