Factors Contributing to an Off-Flavor in Ice Cream

Abstract

Summary 1. The off-flavor common to strawberry ice cream is not necessarily due to the type of strawberries used. The flavor was produced with fresh, cold pack, and canned strawberries. 2. Increasing the amount of strawberries from 10 per cent to 20 per cent of the ice cream mix delayed the occurrence of the off-flavor. 3. The off-flavor may occur in pineapple ice cream as readily as in strawberry ice cream. 4. Heating the strawberries and the ice cream mix to 180° F. for one hour did not prevent the off-flavor from appearing. 5. Neutralization of the acid of the berries to pH 7 delayed the off-flavor but the natural strawberry flavor was injured by this procedure. 6. The quality of the milk products used had little effect on the appearance of the off-flavor. “Cardboard” flavored cream and skimmilk failed to cause the off-flavor when dry skimmilk was used instead of condensed skimmilk. The absence of cream from the mix did not prevent the appearance of the off-flavor when certain condensed milks were used. 7. Condensed milks, containing a certain amount of copper, caused the off-flavor to occur. If the total amount of copper in the mix equalled 1.3 p.p.m., the flavor always developed. 8. The off-flavor never occurred when three types of dry skimmilk were used instead of condensed milk, because these powders did not add sufficient copper to the mix to cause the off-flavor.