The effect of ice cream formulation on palatability and rate of eating

Abstract

Current commercial ice cream formulations vary greatly in both ingredients and price but few published studies have reported the effect of ice cream formulation on consumer responses. The aim of this study was to use a microstructural approach to examine eating behaviour and responses to two ice creams that differed in their microstructures and physical properties. Participants ate ice cream ad libitum in the laboratory, during which the amounts eaten were covertly recorded using the Sussex Eating Pattern Monitor (SIPM) and appetite and sensory ratings were taken. Participants consumed either a high fat or low fat ice cream that was presented without labels and they attended three test days to assess the possibility that learning about the properties of the ice cream might occur. There were no main effects of either ice cream or test day for any of the variables tested: sensory ratings, total intake, appetite and pleasantness ratings during the session. The results suggest that from a consumers perspective there is very little that separates ostensibly very different ice cream formulations on oral properties (taste and mouth feel) and that these assessments of consumers are not modified by learning over three days.