Inulin application on the optimization of reduced-fat ice cream using response surface methodology

This study investigated the effect of inulin on the physical and textural properties, fat content, and sensory acceptance of reduced-fat ice cream (RFIC) as a fat replacer. Sugar, whipped cream, and inulin were optimized to create RFIC using a mixture design (D-optimal) with 3 center points. The optimized content of sugar, whipped cream, and inulin in RFIC were 8.58%, 22.18%, and 4.02%, respectively. The optimized RFIC provided a moderate sensory rating score (6.9–7.2) with 13.87% fat content which reduced fat content by 2.30% compared to inulin-free ice cream. The addition of inulin influenced the firmness of RFIC to be increased higher than inulin-free ice cream significantly nonetheless the optimized RFIC also showed the appropriate range of firmness, viscosity, melting rate, and overrun of ice cream product. The outcomes in this study indicated that the ice cream incorporated with inulin can reduce fat content while delivering acceptable sensory perception.