LAUSR

Abstract We report the viability of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC, 2400–3600 RPM/100–200 L h−1) to manufacture ice-cream with reduced stabilizer. The study was carried out at a pilot-scale level and consisted of determining the impact on particle size and rheological behavior of ice-cream mixes (ICM) and evaluating the resulting melting and meltdown behavior of ice-cream. Ice-cream manufactured with two-stage homogenization (2500/500 psi) was used as a control treatment. Overall, HC resulted in a larger mean particle size than the control mixes (3.52 ± 0.28 and 0.34 ± 0.02 μm, respectively). Additionally, HC (3600 RPM/100 L h−1) changed the flow behavior of ICM from viscoelastic solid to viscoelastic liquid. Cavitated mixes resulted in a 2.2-fold viscosity increment within the high spectrum of shear rate (30–50 s−1) compared with the control mixes. These modifications altered the melting and meltdown characteristics of the resulting ice-cream. The analysis of the particle size and gross microstructure of dripped melted ice-creams suggested a significant collapse of the ice-cream structure, allowing clumps of fat to migrate into the melted phase. This study showed that HC might have the potential to develop novel structures for frozen desserts.