Blends of delactosed permeate and pro-cream in ice cream: Effects on physical, textural and sensory attributes

Various blends of delactosed whey permeate (DLP) and pro-cream, a by-product of microfiltration during whey protein isolate production, were made and assessed for application in ice creams as a source of protein and fat. These blends were compared with control ice cream containing nonfat dried milk (NFDM) as the primary source of protein. Textural properties of ice creams were influenced by partial replacement of NFDM with DLP-pro-cream blends. Compared with control ice cream, those containing DLP-pro-cream blends showed similar mean ice crystal size, relatively higher melt rate, and reduced fat destabilization. Melt rate (based on linear portion of melting curve) correlated well with the fat globule size distribution or extent of fat destabilization. In sensory analysis, ice creams containing the DLP-pro-cream blends (30:70 and 50:50) were slightly less accepted by panelists than the control ice cream for most of the attributes, with an off-flavor more noticeable with increasing DLP content.