A low saturated fat ice cream based on lipid crystalline pickering emulsions and a method of making the same

Abstract

This invention discloses a low-saturated fat ice cream based on a lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion and its preparation method. The method involves heating and melting a high-melting-point lipid, mixing it with an aqueous phase, subjecting it to high-speed shearing and high-pressure homogenization, and then cooling and crystallizing to obtain a lipid crystal particle dispersion. This dispersion is then mixed with low-saturated edible vegetable oil and subjected to high-speed shearing and high-pressure homogenization to obtain a lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion. Food ingredients are added to prepare an ice cream mixture, which is then subjected to freezing, aeration, and hardening treatments to obtain low-saturated fat ice cream. This invention utilizes lipid crystal particles to stabilize low-saturated vegetable oil to form a Pickering emulsion, allowing the low-saturated vegetable oil to be introduced into the ice cream system in a stable, dispersed droplet form. This reduces the saturated fat content while improving the structural stability and freeze-thaw resistance of the low-saturated fat ice cream.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food processing technology, specifically relating to a low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid crystal Pickering emulsion and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Ice cream is a popular frozen dessert, and its quality depends on a complex multiphase structure comprised of the fat phase, air bubbles, ice crystals, and a continuous phase. The fat phase not only imparts a smooth texture and characteristic flavor to ice cream but also plays a crucial structural role during freezing and churning. In traditional ice cream, fat globules partially coalesce under shear and low-temperature conditions, forming a fat network structure. This structure encapsulates and stabilizes air bubbles, increasing the ice cream's overrun and helping to maintain its shape, slow melting, and improve texture.

[0003] The fat network structure of traditional ice cream primarily relies on milk fat, palm oil, coconut oil, or other highly saturated fat components. These fats typically have a high solid fat content (40-80%) and crystallization properties, which facilitates the formation of partially aggregated fat globules during processing. However, with increasing consumer focus on healthy eating, reducing the saturated fat content in ice cream has become a crucial direction for product development. Therefore, maintaining the structural stability and quality characteristics of ice cream while reducing the use of high-saturated fats is a key issue in the development of low-saturated fat ice cream.

[0004] In existing technologies, methods for reducing the saturated fat content of ice cream mainly include directly reducing the amount of fat added or replacing high-saturated fats with liquid vegetable oil. However, directly reducing the amount of fat added usually leads to insufficient structural support in the product, resulting in a thin texture, increased icy crystals, decreased resistance to melting, and deterioration of texture. While liquid vegetable oil has a lower saturated fat content, it lacks sufficient solid fat structure and is difficult to form a support similar to the traditional fat network structure during the freezing and churning process of ice cream, thus affecting bubble stability, overrun, shape retention, and melting stability.

[0005] Therefore, the core of developing low-saturated fat ice cream lies in constructing a novel fat structural unit that can partially replace the function of traditional high-saturated fat structures. Pickering emulsion technology offers a new approach to solving this problem. Lipid crystal particles, derived from food-grade lipids, possess a certain crystalline structure and interfacial adsorption capacity, allowing them to adsorb at the vegetable oil-water interface and stabilize liquid vegetable oil to form a lipid crystal Pickering emulsion. This emulsion enables liquid vegetable oil to exist as stable, dispersed droplets at the particle interface layer, thus potentially providing structural support for the ice cream system while reducing saturated fat content.

[0006] However, ice cream systems differ from ordinary emulsion systems. They contain various food ingredients such as sugars, proteins, and food gums, and undergo processes including aging, freezing and aeration, hardening, and freeze-thaw temperature fluctuations. The dispersion stability, interfacial stability, and structural stability of lipid crystal particles in complex ingredient environments and freeze-thaw processes directly affect their ability to stabilize vegetable oils in the formation of Pickering emulsions, and further impact the quality of low-saturated fat ice cream. Therefore, it remains necessary to provide a low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid crystal Pickering emulsions and its preparation method to improve the structural stability, melt resistance, and textural quality of low-saturated fat ice cream while reducing the amount of high-saturated fat components used. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the primary objective of this invention is to provide a method for preparing low-saturated fat ice cream based on a lipid crystal Pickering emulsion. This method uses food-grade lipid crystal particles as a Pickering stabilizer. Through food ingredient control, freezing, aeration, and hardening treatments, a lipid crystal particle dispersion suitable for ice cream systems is obtained. This lipid crystal particle dispersion is further used to stabilize low-saturated vegetable oils to form a Pickering emulsion, allowing the liquid vegetable oil to be introduced into the ice cream system as dispersed oil droplets with a stable particle interface layer. This reduces the amount of high-saturated fat components used while improving the structural stability, melt resistance, and textural quality of the low-saturated fat ice cream.

[0008] A second objective of this invention is to provide a low-saturated fat ice cream based on a lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion prepared by the above method.

[0009] The primary objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0010] A method for preparing low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion includes the following steps:

[0011] (1) Preparation of lipid crystal particle dispersion: After heating and melting high melting point lipids, they are mixed with an aqueous phase preheated to the same temperature, subjected to high-speed shearing and high-pressure homogenization circulation treatment, and cooled to crystallize to obtain lipid crystal particle dispersion; the mass of the high melting point lipids is 2.5~5% of the total mass of the high melting point lipids and the aqueous phase; the high melting point lipids are at least one of fully hydrogenated soybean oil, stearate citrate, beeswax, and monoglycerides; the aqueous phase is distilled water or an emulsifier aqueous solution;

[0012] (2) Preparation of lipid crystal Pickering emulsion: The lipid crystal particle dispersion is mixed with low-saturated vegetable oil, and then subjected to shear premixing and high-pressure homogenization circulation treatment to obtain lipid crystal Pickering emulsion; the low-saturated vegetable oil is at least one of soybean oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, peanut oil, sunflower seed oil, flaxseed oil, rice bran oil, walnut oil, algae oil or olive oil;

[0013] (3) The lipid crystal Pickering emulsion is mixed and stirred with food ingredients to obtain an ice cream mixture; the ice cream mixture is subjected to freezing, aeration and hardening treatment to obtain a low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid crystal Pickering emulsion; the food ingredients are a compound of sugars, proteins and polysaccharides.

[0014] Preferably, in step (1), when the aqueous phase is an emulsifier aqueous solution, the emulsifier is at least one of sodium caseinate, Tween 80, Tween 40, and sucrose ester; the mass fraction of the emulsifier aqueous solution is 1-4%.

[0015] Preferably, in step (1), the high-melting-point lipid and the aqueous phase are heated to 75-85°C and kept at that temperature for 20-35 minutes to completely melt the high-melting-point lipid and preheat the aqueous phase to a temperature close to that of the molten lipid.

[0016] Preferably, in step (1), the rotation speed of the high-speed shearing is 10,000 to 18,000 rpm, the high-speed shearing time is 1 to 3 minutes, the pressure of the high-pressure homogenization cycle treatment is 20 to 40 MPa, and the number of high-pressure homogenization cycles is 2 to 6.

[0017] Preferably, in step (1), the cooling crystallization conditions are: stirring and cooling at 2-5°C for 0.5-1.5 h, followed by refrigeration at 2-5°C.

[0018] Preferably, in step (2), the lipid crystal particle dispersion and the low-saturated vegetable oil are mixed in a mass ratio of 5~9:1~5.

[0019] Preferably, in step (2), the rotation speed of the shear premixing is 8000-10000 rpm and the time is 1-3 min; the pressure of the high-pressure homogenization cycle is 25-35 MPa and the number of high-pressure homogenization cycles is 2-8.

[0020] Preferably, in step (2), the resulting lipid crystal Pickering emulsion is stable for ≥12 h under refrigeration at 2–5 °C.

[0021] Preferably, in step (3), the food ingredients, based on the mass of the lipid crystal Pickering emulsion, include 10-20 wt.% sugars, 1-5 wt.% protein, and 0.1-0.4 wt.% polysaccharides.

[0022] Preferably, the specific preparation method of step (3) is as follows: food ingredients are added to lipid crystal Pickering emulsion and stirred at 800-1500 rpm for 1-2 h at 2-5℃ to obtain ice cream mixture; then ice cream freezing equipment is used to freeze and inflate the ice cream mixture to obtain soft ice cream, and the soft ice cream is placed at -20--18℃ to harden for 12-24 h to obtain low saturated fat ice cream based on lipid crystal Pickering emulsion.

[0023] The second objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0024] A low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion was prepared by the above-described method.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0026] The present invention describes a method for preparing low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsions. This involves melting high-melting-point lipids and mixing them with an aqueous phase, followed by high-speed shearing and high-pressure homogenization. The mixture is then cooled and crystallized to obtain a lipid crystal particle dispersion. This dispersion is mixed with low-saturated edible vegetable oil, and subjected to shear premixing and high-pressure homogenization to obtain a lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion. Food ingredients are added to prepare an ice cream mixture, which is then subjected to freezing, aeration, and hardening processes to obtain low-saturated fat ice cream. This invention utilizes lipid crystal particles to stabilize low-saturated vegetable oils to form a Pickering emulsion, allowing the low-saturated vegetable oil to be introduced into the ice cream system in a stable, dispersed droplet form. This reduces the saturated fat content while improving the structural stability and freeze-thaw resistance of the low-saturated fat ice cream. Compared to directly using liquid vegetable oils to replace high-saturated fats, the preparation method of this invention can reduce the amount of high-saturated fat components such as milk fat, butter, palm oil, and coconut oil while providing a certain degree of fat structural support for the ice cream. This helps to improve problems such as thin texture, poor freeze-thaw resistance, and insufficient texture that are common in low-saturated fat ice creams. The low-saturated fat ice cream prepared by this invention meets market demand and has good application prospects. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 The macroscopic state of the lipid crystal particle dispersion after freeze-thaw treatment in Example 1;

[0028] Figure 2 The melted appearance of the low-saturated fat ice cream prepared in Examples 2, 3, 5, and 6;

[0029] Figure 3 The melting curves of the low-saturated fat ice creams prepared in Examples 2, 3, 5, and 6 are shown.

[0030] Figure 4 The hardness of the low-saturated fat ice cream prepared in Examples 2, 3, 5 and 6 is given, where different lowercase letters indicate significant differences (P < 0.05). Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited thereto. All materials used in the examples of the present invention are commercially available.

[0032] Example 1

[0033] A method for preparing a lipid crystal particle dispersion includes the following steps:

[0034] (1) Preparation of lipid crystal particle dispersion: 7.5g of citrate stearate and 142.5g of distilled water were heated to 85℃ and kept at that temperature for 30 min until the citrate stearate was completely melted; the molten citrate stearate (lipid phase) was mixed with distilled water (aqueous phase) at a similar temperature, and first sheared at 15000 rpm for 2 min using a high-speed shearing machine, and then circulated 4 times under a pressure of 30-35 MPa using a high-pressure homogenizer; the resulting dispersion was stirred and cooled at 4℃ for 1 h, and then transferred to a refrigerator at 4℃ for cold storage to obtain the lipid crystal particle dispersion;

[0035] (2) Freeze-thaw treatment of lipid crystal particle dispersion: Two groups of lipid crystal particle dispersions (150g each) were prepared according to the preparation method in step (1): one group was not added with any ingredients, and the other group was added with 19.5g sucrose, 4.5g sodium caseinate, 0.15g xanthan gum and 0.3g guar gum. The mixture was stirred at 800~1500 rpm for 2 h at 4℃ to fully disperse the ingredients. The sample was then frozen in a -20℃ freezer for 24 h, and then transferred to a 4℃ freezer to thaw for 10 h. The changes in its macroscopic state were observed.

[0036] Results: The lipid crystal particle dispersion prepared in this example was milky white, with an average particle size of approximately 200-300 nm. The average particle size showed no significant change after the addition of food ingredients. The macroscopic state of the sample after freeze-thaw treatment is shown below. Figure 1 As shown, the sample without added food ingredients exhibited significant flocculation after freeze-thaw, forming large, flaky aggregates. In contrast, the sample with added food ingredients showed a more uniform and transparent appearance macroscopically after freeze-thaw. Figure 1Particle size analysis results showed that the average particle size after freeze-thaw was not significantly different from the initial particle size, indicating that the sample has good freeze-thaw stability. In summary, the addition of food ingredients effectively improved the freeze-thaw stability of lipid crystal particles in this embodiment, enhancing its application potential in ice cream systems.

[0037] Example 2

[0038] A method for preparing low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion includes the following steps:

[0039] (1) Preparation of lipid crystal Pickering emulsion: Take 90g of the unfrozen lipid crystal particle dispersion prepared in Example 1, mix it with 10g of soybean oil, first shear it for 2 min at 8000 rpm using a high-speed shearing machine, and then cycle it 6 times under 30-35 MPa pressure using a high-pressure homogenizer to obtain lipid crystal Pickering emulsion.

[0040] (2) Preparation of low-saturated fat ice cream: The lipid crystal Pickering emulsion (100g) prepared in step (1) was refrigerated at 4℃ for at least 12 h. Then, 13g of sucrose, 3g of sodium caseinate, 0.1g of xanthan gum and 0.2g of guar gum were added to it. The mixture was stirred at 800-1500 rpm for 2 h at 4℃ to obtain an ice cream mixture. The ice cream mixture was then frozen in a commercial ice cream machine to obtain soft ice cream. Finally, it was hardened in a -20℃ freezer for 24 h to obtain the finished ice cream sample (low-saturated fat ice cream). The melting curve and hardness of the product were measured.

[0041] Results: This embodiment successfully prepared a lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion. The resulting emulsion was milky white in appearance and uniformly dispersed in microstructure. Food ingredients were added to the Pickering emulsion to obtain an ice cream mixture. After freeze-thaw treatment, the particle size of the ice cream mixture did not change significantly, indicating that the mixture has good freeze-thaw stability and is feasible for ice cream preparation. Melting characteristics of the hardened ice cream samples were analyzed. Figure 2 The melting appearance of the ice cream samples at 25°C was demonstrated. None of the samples completely melted within 60 minutes, indicating good melt resistance. In summary, this embodiment successfully prepared an ice cream sample based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion. Although surface roughness and bubble coarsening occurred during melting, the overall melting characteristics were excellent, indicating that this system has good application prospects in the development of low-saturated fat ice cream.

[0042] Example 3

[0043] A method for preparing low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion includes the following steps:

[0044] (1) Preparation of lipid crystal Pickering emulsion: Take the unfrozen lipid crystal particle dispersion prepared in Example 1 and dilute it with distilled water at a mass ratio of 1:1; take 90g of the diluted lipid crystal Pickering emulsion dispersion and mix it with 10g of soybean oil. First, shear it for 2 min at 8000 rpm using a high-speed shearing machine, and then use a high-pressure homogenizer to cycle it 6 times at a pressure of 30-35 MPa to obtain lipid crystal Pickering emulsion;

[0045] (2) Preparation of low-saturated fat ice cream: 100g of lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion was refrigerated at 4°C for at least 12 hours. Then, 13g of sucrose, 3g of sodium caseinate, 0.1g of xanthan gum, and 0.2g of guar gum were added. The mixture was stirred at 800–1500 rpm for 2 hours at 4°C to obtain an ice cream mixture. This mixture was then frozen in a commercial ice cream machine to obtain soft-serve ice cream. Finally, the mixture was hardened at -20°C for 24 hours to obtain the finished ice cream sample (low-saturated fat ice cream). The methods for determining the melting curve and hardness of the ice cream product were the same as in Example 2.

[0046] Results: Compared to Example 2, this example reduced the concentration of lipid crystal particles in the lipid-crystal Pickering emulsion. The average particle size of the resulting ice cream mixture decreased, indicating that a lower concentration of lipid crystal particles can effectively stabilize the oil phase. The reduction in particle size further suggests that a higher concentration of particles may be excessive in the system, leading to accumulation or aggregation. Before and after freeze-thaw treatment, the particle size of the ice cream mixture in this example did not change significantly, consistent with Example 2, and also exhibited excellent freeze-thaw stability. Melting characteristics of the hardened ice cream samples were analyzed. Figure 3 The melting appearance of the ice cream sample at 25°C is shown. Its melting process is similar to that of Example 2, also accompanied by surface roughness and the appearance of large bubbles, indicating that these phenomena may be unrelated to particle concentration, but mainly related to the properties of the lipid crystal particles themselves. Although the melting appearance is similar, the melting curves ( Figure 3 As seen in Example 2, both the initial dripping time and the end of melting time were delayed, indicating that reducing the particle concentration improved the melting characteristics of the ice cream to some extent. Hardness testing results showed that the ice cream sample in this example had a higher hardness than that in Example 2. In summary, Example 3 has a similar melted appearance to Example 2, but exhibits superior melting characteristics and higher hardness. Furthermore, ice cream can still be successfully prepared with a lower concentration of lipid crystal particles, providing experimental evidence for further reducing saturated fat in ice cream.

[0047] Example 4

[0048] A method for preparing a lipid crystal particle dispersion includes the following steps:

[0049] (1) Preparation of lipid crystal particle dispersion: 7.5g of fully hydrogenated soybean oil and 142.5g of 4.0 wt% sodium caseinate aqueous solution were heated to 85℃ and kept at the temperature for 30 min until the fully hydrogenated soybean oil was completely melted; the molten fully hydrogenated soybean oil (lipid phase) was mixed with sodium caseinate aqueous solution (aqueous phase) at a similar temperature, and first sheared at 15000rpm for 2 min using a high-speed shearing machine, and then circulated 4 times under a pressure of 30-35 MPa using a high-pressure homogenizer; the resulting dispersion was stirred and cooled at 4℃ for 1 h, and then transferred to a refrigerator at 4℃ for cold storage to obtain lipid crystal particle dispersion;

[0050] (2) Freeze-thaw treatment of lipid crystal particle dispersion: Two groups of lipid crystal particle dispersions (150g each) were prepared according to the preparation method in step (1): one group was not added with any ingredients, and the other group was added with 19.5g sucrose, 4.5g sodium caseinate, 0.15g xanthan gum and 0.3g guar gum. The mixture was stirred at 800~1500 rpm for 2 h at 4℃ to ensure that the ingredients were fully dispersed. The sample was then frozen in a -20℃ freezer for 24 h. After being taken out, it was transferred to a 4℃ freezer to thaw and its macroscopic state and microscopic morphology changes were observed.

[0051] Results: The lipid crystal particle dispersion prepared in this embodiment was milky white, with an average particle size of approximately 216 nm. The average particle size did not change significantly after the addition of food ingredients. Unlike Example 1, in this embodiment, the lipid crystal particle dispersion maintained a uniform and transparent appearance after freeze-thaw treatment regardless of the addition of food ingredients; therefore, its macroscopic image was not shown. Microscopic morphology analysis showed that without the addition of food ingredients, the lipid crystal particles were in a relatively uniform dispersion state, with small particle sizes and good dispersion. After the addition of food ingredients, the degree of particle aggregation increased, but the overall dispersion remained relatively uniform. Both macroscopic and microscopic analyses indicated that the system did not exhibit flocculation or aggregation instability due to freeze-thaw treatment. The average particle size after freeze-thaw treatment did not change significantly compared to the initial particle size, further confirming its good freeze-thaw stability. These results indicate that the lipid crystal particles have the potential for application in ice cream systems.

[0052] Example 5

[0053] A method for preparing low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion includes the following steps:

[0054] (1) Preparation of lipid crystal Pickering emulsion: Take 90g of the unfrozen lipid crystal particle dispersion prepared in Example 4, mix it with 10g of soybean oil, first shear it at 8000 rpm for 2 min using a high-speed shearing machine, and then use a high-pressure homogenizer to cycle it 6 times at 30-35 MPa pressure to obtain lipid crystal Pickering emulsion.

[0055] (2) Preparation of low-saturated fat ice cream: The lipid crystalline Pickering emulsion (100g) prepared in step (1) was refrigerated at 4°C for at least 12 h and then 13g sucrose, 3g sodium caseinate, 0.1g xanthan gum and 0.2g guar gum were added to it. Based on the mass of the lipid crystalline Pickering emulsion, the mixture was stirred at 800-1500 rpm for 2 h at 4°C to obtain an ice cream mixture. The ice cream mixture was then frozen in a commercial ice cream machine to obtain soft ice cream. Finally, it was hardened in a -20°C freezer for 24 h to obtain the finished ice cream sample (low-saturated fat ice cream). The methods for determining the melting curve and hardness of the ice cream product were the same as in Example 2.

[0056] Results: This embodiment successfully prepared a lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion, which had a milky white appearance. The average particle size of the obtained ice cream mixture was significantly smaller than that of Examples 2 and 3. After freeze-thaw treatment, the particle size of the ice cream mixture did not change significantly, indicating that the mixture has good freeze-thaw stability and is feasible for ice cream preparation. The melting characteristics of the hardened ice cream samples were analyzed. Figure 3 The melting appearance of the ice cream sample at 25°C is shown. Compared with Examples 2 and 3, the ice cream in this example has a smoother and more delicate appearance during melting, and no obvious bubble structure was observed, indicating that the system has superior bubble stabilization ability. Figure 4 The melting curves of the ice cream sample are shown. Compared with Examples 2 and 3, the maximum melting rate of this example is higher, and the melting end time is earlier, indicating that the sample loses mass faster during melting and has relatively weaker resistance to melting. Hardness test results show that the hardness of this ice cream sample is significantly lower than that of Examples 2 and 3, indicating that it is softer in texture. In summary, the ice cream prepared in this example has a smoother and more delicate appearance and better bubble stability during melting, but its melting rate is faster and its resistance to melting is relatively weaker; at the same time, its hardness is lower and its texture is softer.

[0057] Example 6

[0058] A method for preparing low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion includes the following steps:

[0059] (1) Preparation of lipid crystal Pickering emulsion: Take the lipid crystal particle dispersion prepared in step (1) of Example 4 and dilute it with distilled water at a mass ratio of 1:1. Take 90g of the diluted dispersion and mix it with 10g of soybean oil. First, shear it for 2 min at 8000 rpm using a high-speed shearing machine, and then cycle it 6 times under a pressure of 30-35 MPa using a high-pressure homogenizer to obtain lipid crystal Pickering emulsion;

[0060] (2) Preparation of low-saturated fat ice cream: 100g of lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion was refrigerated at 4°C for at least 12 hours. Then, 13g of sucrose, 3g of sodium caseinate, 0.1g of xanthan gum, and 0.2g of guar gum were added. The mixture was stirred at 800–1500 rpm for 2 hours at 4°C to obtain an ice cream mixture. This mixture was then frozen in a commercial ice cream machine to obtain soft-serve ice cream. Finally, the mixture was hardened at -20°C for 24 hours to obtain the finished ice cream sample. The methods for determining the melting curve and hardness of the ice cream product were the same as in Example 2.

[0061] Results: Compared with Example 5, this example reduced the concentration of lipid crystal particles in the lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion. The average particle size of the resulting ice cream mixture was similar to that of Example 5. Before and after freeze-thaw treatment, the particle size of the ice cream mixture in this example did not change significantly, consistent with Example 5, and also exhibited excellent freeze-thaw stability. Melting characteristics of the hardened ice cream samples were analyzed. Figure 2 The melting appearance of the ice cream sample at 25°C is shown. The melting process is similar to that of Example 5, with a smooth and delicate surface and no obvious bubble structure observed. Notably, the ice cream sample in this example almost completely dripped during melting, leaving minimal filter residue; therefore, its melting time was longer than that of Example 5. Hardness test results show ( Figure 4 The ice cream sample from this embodiment showed no significant difference in hardness compared to Example 5, maintaining a relatively soft texture. In summary, this embodiment, by reducing the concentration of lipid crystal particles, still produced an ice cream product of comparable quality to that of Example 5, further validating the feasibility of using lower concentrations of lipid crystal particles in stabilizing the oil phase and constructing ice cream systems, providing a more flexible option for strategies to reduce saturated fats.

[0062] The above embodiments are preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments. Any changes, modifications, substitutions, combinations, or simplifications made without departing from the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be considered equivalent substitutions and shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for preparing low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion, characterized in that, Includes the following steps, (1) Preparation of lipid crystal particle dispersion: After heating and melting high melting point lipids, they are mixed with an aqueous phase preheated to the same temperature, subjected to high-speed shearing and high-pressure homogenization circulation treatment, and cooled to crystallize to obtain lipid crystal particle dispersion; the mass of the high melting point lipids is 2.5~5% of the total mass of the high melting point lipids and the aqueous phase; the high melting point lipids are at least one of fully hydrogenated soybean oil, stearate citrate, beeswax, and monoglycerides; the aqueous phase is distilled water or an emulsifier aqueous solution; (2) Preparation of lipid crystal Pickering emulsion: The lipid crystal particle dispersion is mixed with low-saturated vegetable oil, and then subjected to shear premixing and high-pressure homogenization circulation treatment to obtain lipid crystal Pickering emulsion; the low-saturated vegetable oil is at least one of soybean oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, peanut oil, sunflower seed oil, flaxseed oil, rice bran oil, walnut oil, algae oil or olive oil; (3) The lipid crystal Pickering emulsion is mixed and stirred with food ingredients to obtain an ice cream mixture; the ice cream mixture is subjected to freezing, aeration and hardening treatment to obtain a low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid crystal Pickering emulsion; the food ingredients are a compound of sugars, proteins and polysaccharides.

2. The method for preparing low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (1), when the aqueous phase is an emulsifier aqueous solution, the emulsifier is at least one of sodium caseinate, Tween 80, Tween 40, and sucrose ester; the mass fraction of the emulsifier aqueous solution is 1~4%.

3. The method for preparing low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (1), the high-melting-point lipid and the aqueous phase are heated to 75-85°C and kept at that temperature for 20-35 minutes to completely melt the high-melting-point lipid and preheat the aqueous phase to a temperature close to that of the molten lipid.

4. The method for preparing low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (1), the high-speed shearing speed is 10,000 to 18,000 rpm, and the high-speed shearing time is 1 to 3 minutes; the pressure of the high-pressure homogenization cycle treatment is 20 to 40 MPa, and the number of high-pressure homogenization cycles is 2 to 6.

5. The method for preparing low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (1), the cooling crystallization conditions are: stirring and cooling at 2-5℃ for 0.5-1.5 h, followed by refrigeration at 2-5℃.

6. The method for preparing low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (2), the lipid crystal particle dispersion and the low-saturated vegetable oil are mixed in a mass ratio of 5~9:1~5.

7. The method for preparing low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (2), the rotation speed of the shear premixing is 8000-10000 rpm and the time is 1-3 min; the pressure of the high-pressure homogenization cycle treatment is 25-35 MPa and the number of high-pressure homogenization cycles is 2-8.

8. The method for preparing low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (3), the food ingredients, based on the mass of the lipid crystal Pickering emulsion, include 10-20 wt.% sugars, 1-5 wt.% protein, and 0.1-0.4 wt.% polysaccharides.

9. The method for preparing low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion according to claim 1, characterized in that, The specific preparation method of step (3) is as follows: food ingredients are added to lipid crystal Pickering emulsion and stirred at 800-1500 rpm for 1-2 h at 2-5℃ to obtain ice cream mixture; then ice cream freezing equipment is used to freeze and inflate the ice cream mixture to obtain soft ice cream, and the soft ice cream is placed at -20--18℃ for 12-24 h to obtain low saturated fat ice cream based on lipid crystal Pickering emulsion.

10. A low-saturated fat ice cream based on lipid-crystallized Pickering emulsion, characterized in that, It is prepared according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images