Method for making ice cream with a low sugar content comprising prebiotics partly or totally fermented by probiotics
The invention relates to a process for formulating an ice cream wherein a high percentage of the added sugars (from 0% to 20%) is substituted for complex sugar substances known as prebiotics which, after pasteurization, can be partly or totally fermented by probiotic bacteria of the genera Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Streptococcus , or hydrolyzed by enzymes to obtain a partly fermented ice cream with a low sugar content and containing a high number (>10 6 /ml) of live probiotic bacteria. The different prebiotics are used as individual ingredients or in mixtures and in diverse concentrations. The invention also relates to an ice cream comprising a reduced content of added sugars such as sucrose, dextrose, glucose syrup, partly or totally substituted for prebiotics, optionally fermented by probiotics and/or hydrolyzed by enzymes.
1. A process for reducing the content of added simple sugars in an ice cream by total or partial substitution of said simple sugars with at least one fermented prebiotic ingredient, said process comprising the steps of:
a) mixing a quantity of from 0% to 20% by weight of at least one simple sugar selected from the group consisting of sucrose, glucose syrup, dextrose and mixtures thereof, with the ingredients for preparing an ice cream mixture and with at least one prebiotic ingredient selected from the group consisting of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), digestion-resistant maltodextrins, fructo-polysaccharides and mixtures thereof in a quantity from 3% to 20% by weight;
b) subjecting the mixture of step a) to pasteurization;
c) adding to the mixture of step b) at least one probiotic ingredient of the genus Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium , or Streptococcus and bringing the mixture to a temperature of between about 37° C. to 40° C. for a time of 0.5 to 48 hours to partially or totally ferment the at least one prebiotic ingredient from the mixture of step b) by the at least one probiotic ingredient; and
d) adding to the mixture of step c) the further ingredients required for obtaining the final flavor of the ice cream,
thereby obtaining an ice cream comprising 0-20 wt. % of sucrose, dextrose and/or glucose syrup and the at least one fermented prebiotic ingredient.
2. The process according to claim 1 wherein, after step d), the mixture is subjected to homogenization, maturation, aeration, mixing and freezing, stirring and hardening.
3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one probiotic is used, as an inoculum, in quantities comprised between 10{circumflex over ( )}3 and 10{circumflex over ( )}6 cells per ml of mixture.
4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one prebiotic ingredient is a mixture of prebiotic ingredients.
5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pasteurization step comprises a high-pasteurization cycle carried out for a time between 20 and 40 seconds.
6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pasteurization step comprises a low-pasteurization cycle carried out for a time between 15 and 40 minutes.
7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one prebiotic ingredient is added in quantities from 5% to 15% by weight.
8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pasteurization comprises a high-pasteurization cycle carried out at temperatures comprised between 80° C. and 110° C., or a low pasteurization cycle at temperatures comprised between 60° C. and 70° C.
9. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the pasteurization comprises both treatment cycles.
10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one probiotic ingredient is selected among B. longum, B. breve, B. bifidum, B. catenulatum, B. lactis, B. adolescentis, B. infantis, B. pseudocatenulatum, Lactobacillus casei, L. rhamnosus, L. acidophilus, L. reuteri, L. fermentum, L. plantarum, L. delbrueckii subsp, bulgaricus, L. brevis, Streptococcus thermophiles and mixtures thereof.
11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the ice cream is a sorbet.
12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the ice cream further comprises kestose.
13. The process according to claim 1 wherein the process consists of the steps a), b), c), d), and after the step d), homogenization, maturation, aeration, mixing, freezing, stirring and hardening.