A new population balance model for ice recrystallization in ice cream during long-term storage.

Abstract

A new modelling approach was developed, which couples the population and energy balance models, for describing ice crystal growth and dissolution rates with individual parameters by including the instantaneous dissolution of crystals smaller than a critical size. The aim was to describe ice crystal size evolving during ice cream storage and to determine the limiting process between growth and dissolution. Comparison between modelling results and experimental measurements for ice crystal size in ice cream stored at temperatures between -5 and -18 °C during 104 days shows a good agreement. Simulation results show that ice crystal dissolution controls the recrystallization at the beginning of storage, after which both growth and dissolution rates decrease.