November, 2025
Ice cream and frozen desserts have evolved from their ancient origins into popular treats worldwide, now offered in a wide range of options such as sorbets, gelato, American ice cream, and vegan choices. Today, texture and flavor are key to standing out in the competitive frozen dessert market. In these complex formulations, where each ingredient affects the final product’s quality, emulsifiers and stabilizers work together as functional systems, providing customized solutions for the ice cream industry.
The origins of ice cream date back to ancient civilizations that mixed snow with fruit and honey. The Romans and the Chinese were among the first to innovate, but it wasn’t until the 17th century that modern ice cream appeared in Europe. Two hundred years later, the introduction of machinery allowed for mass production, making ice cream popular worldwide. The development of frozen desserts has broadened the category beyond traditional ice cream, reflecting both culinary trends and the growing demand for healthier, clean-label options.
The quality of ice cream depends on several key factors, including a smooth and creamy texture, a well-balanced and authentic flavor, and an appropriate fat content that adds richness. Additionally, making a high-quality product involves carefully balancing ingredients, using stabilizers to improve consistency, controlling the level of air incorporation (known as overrun), and applying proper freezing techniques. These elements work together to create a smooth, stable, and indulgent ice cream that provides a complete and satisfying sensory experience.
These molecules possess amphiphilic properties: one part of their structure is hydrophilic, while the other is lipophilic. This dual nature allows them to position themselves at the interface of an emulsion, reducing surface tension between phases. In food applications, this leads to a much more stable matrix. The primary emulsifiers used in ice cream are mono- and diglycerides (E-471), lactic esters (E-472b), and propylene glycol esters (E-477).
Their benefits include:
These are water-soluble polysaccharides derived from plants, algae, or microorganisms. They are valued for their gelling ability and impact on viscosity. Key benefits include:
Ensuring quality and performance in ice cream and frozen dessert formulas requires a careful balance of ingredients and technological expertise. In this context, partnering with Lasenor provides a clear advantage: from single ingredients to custom-made functional systems, designed to meet the specific needs of each application. This allows the creation of products with the texture, stability, and sensory qualities demanded by today’s increasingly competitive and diverse frozen dessert market.
New product innovation is crucial for market growth. Brands focus on innovation in flavors, textures, and formats to create excitement, stand out, and grow their consumer base.
In Europe, new ice cream launches grew by 7% in 2023 after several years of decline, outpacing innovations in categories such as yogurt and chilled desserts. This renewed momentum has also pushed up the average selling prices of new products.
Ice cream innovation goes beyond flavors: Asia leads in texture innovations and plant-based bases, while the Americas emphasize ethical claims, sugar reduction, and functional benefits. Globally, single-serve formats and “novelty” items are gaining ground as they adapt to one-person households and on-the-go lifestyles.
The “clean label” trend is accelerating especially in plant-based and water-based ice creams, with more “no additives or preservatives” claims than in dairy. In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, dairy ice cream is lagging (around 3% adopts eco or clean-label positioning), while brands are shortening ingredient lists amid concern over ultra-processed foods (69% of Britons consider dairy alternatives to be highly processed). In the Middle East and Africa, launches without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives are steadily growing (53% of Nigerians actively avoid preservatives). Overall, “clean-label” ice cream is defined by short ingredient lists, natural ingredients, and fewer additives, with plant-based and water-based products leading the trend.
At Lasenor, we combine decades of expertise in emulsifiers with the advanced know-how of SWISSGUM® functional systems, creating a unique value proposition for the ice cream industry. Thanks to this integration, we can supply both individual ingredients—such as emulsifiers and hydrocolloids—and custom-made functional systems designed to meet each customer’s specific needs.
Our investment in a dedicated ice cream pilot plant reinforces this commitment, enabling us to develop and test formulations under real production conditions. This capability allows us to provide our partners with more precise, technical, and practical support, ensuring consistent product performance.
You also might be interested in: functional ice cream.
Contact us to help you create the perfect solution for your ice cream!
Article Sourced from Lasenor
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