The weather is getting hotter and hotter, and ice cream and ice cream have become the first choice for many people to relieve the heat.

However, recently, the Internet celebrity ice cream ice cream has become a hot search.

Recently, some netizens posted that the sea salt-flavored ice cream under the Internet celebrity ice cream brand was placed at room temperature of 31°C for nearly an hour, but it still did not melt completely.

In this regard, some people said that "the ice cream is not easy to melt because of the addition of edible glue."

　　So, what is the "non-melting" ice cream and ice cream?

Is it because a lot of edible glue is added?

How do additives affect ice cream?

Will it harm human health?

Can you still eat?

　　The ice cream did not turn into water

　　Because of its low water content and high solid content

　　Some people say that the ice cream has not melted for an hour.

I don't know how you feel when you see it, but my first reaction is: This hasn't changed yet?

Clearly melted, just not much water.

　　Why didn't the ice cream turn into water?

Because it has relatively little water.

This ice cream has high protein content, about 6%, high solid content, and relatively low water content, so even if it melts, it will not become a pool of water, and it has nothing to do with thickeners and edible glue.

　　Total solids is a technical indicator in the food industry, reflecting the content of soluble solids and insoluble solids in food.

The total solid content of ice cream, also known as the total dry matter content of ice cream, is a general term for all substances except moisture in ice cream.

　　Looking at the product formula of this ice cream, you can find that the main ingredients it uses are milk, cream, coconut milk, condensed milk, whole milk powder, ice egg yolk, etc.

The content of dairy products (including milk, cream, condensed milk, milk powder, etc.) is very high, and the protein content reaches 6.3%.

　　It may be difficult for many people to understand, so I will share with you a small example in life.

Our kids love ice cream, but used to think ice cream was unhealthy.

So I freeze cheese sticks at home and serve as ice cream to the kids.

　　Emulsifiers and thickeners give ice cream taste

　　But not the more the better

　　Some people say that the less easy it is to melt ice cream and ice cream, the more additives it contains. Is this true?

　　Emulsifiers can improve the uniformity and stability of raw materials, so that non-uniform ice ballast is not formed when freezing.

It can also catch the small fat particles in the raw material, lock the tiny air bubbles, and finally form a soft and delicate taste; thickeners can make the raw material more viscous, commonly used include xanthan gum, carrageenan, guar gum, etc. Its role is to change the crystal form of the water during freezing, and it also allows the melted ice cream to stick to the surface instead of dripping all over the place.

　　The combined use of these several additives can not only give the ice cream a smooth taste, but also enhance the melting resistance of the ice cream, delay the melting rate, and prevent too fast melting and slumping.

　　However, this does not mean that the more additives are used, the better.

The amount of additives used depends on the ingredients and production process.

From the results of previous related process research, there is usually a critical point.

Under certain process conditions, the proper use of food additives such as thickeners can prolong the melting time, but after exceeding it, it will not work. Considering the taste and cost, manufacturers will not add too much.

　　Are the additives in ice cream harmful to the human body?

　　Don't worry too much as long as you meet the standards

　　What everyone is most worried about is that the thickener and edible glue are not safe.

In fact, the commonly used thickeners and edible gums are dietary fibers, which are very safe, so you really don’t have to worry about them.

There are more than 30 kinds of thickeners approved for use in China, of which there are about 20 kinds with the word "glue".

Most of them come from some plants we often eat, especially legumes, and some come from microorganisms and animals. Let's see if you still eat them.

　　Plants: thorn gum, locust bean gum, pectin, guar gum, flaxseed gum, cassia gum, tamarind polysaccharide gum, artemisia gum, succulent gum, acacia gum, gum arabic.

　　Algae: carrageenan, seaweed.

　　Microorganisms: xanthan gum, keratin gum, gellan gum.

　　Animals: gelatin, shellac (shellac).

　　In fact, the safety of food additives comes down to how much you use and how much you eat.

As long as it meets the requirements of the standard, the safety of food additives is guaranteed, and everyone must not have any misunderstandings about food additives.

Taking emulsifiers as an example, there are about 70 kinds of emulsifiers commonly used in the world. The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FA0/WHO) conducted a safety evaluation of food emulsifiers. The results show that , Most of these emulsifiers are safe, and most of them do not even limit the acceptable daily intake (ADI), and reasonable use will not cause health hazards.

　　If you're still worried about too many additives in ice cream and ice cream, try making frozen popsicles at home for more peace of mind.

　　Text / Ruan Guangfeng (Director of Science and Technology Department of Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center)