Yogurt ice cream with Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum TISTR 2195: effects of fat content and prebiotics on physicochemical and rheological properties, ice cream microstructure, and probiotic survival

Abstract

ABSTRACT Developing ice cream products as functional foods with less fat content and a high survival rate of probiotics aided by prebiotics is required to address the demands of health-conscious consumers. This study aimed to investigate the effects of fat content (2 and 10% fat as a low and full-fat, respectively) and different concentrations of prebiotics (galacto-oligosaccharide, GOS and fructo-oligosaccharide, FOS) on the survival rate of Bifidobacterium longum TISTR 2195 in yogurt ice cream (YIC) and in an in vitro gastrointestinal system. Fat content affected the fat particle size, melting rate, and solid-like characteristics of ice cream. The hardness and elasticity of YIC were enhanced more significantly by FOS, owing to its lower solubility and denser microstructure, manifesting more solid-like properties than those by YIC containing GOS. Moreover, type and prebiotic concentrations influenced B. longum TISTR 2195 survival in YIC. Moreover, B. longum TISTR 2195 content in YIC during storage for 180 d remained consistent at 106 CFU/g, which is considered beneficial to human health. The study findings could be useful for ice cream manufacturers to produce low- or full-fat YICs containing prebiotics and probiotics, as functional and healthy foods.