Executive summary

According to the case study, Merlina Bakery Sdn. Bhd. would like to formulate a new fermented

product with the culture, L. acidophilus and B. bifidum. The proposed product should be shelf

stable, acquire potential market value and acquire the minimum viable count of 10 6 CFU mL−1

until the moment it is consumed.

Proposed product: Probiotic Ice Cream

Pros of developing probiotic ice cream:

1. Nutrition:

The incorporation of probiotics into ice cream is particularly beneficial since, aside from

being a functional healthy food, ice cream itself comprises beneficial components such as

dairy raw materials, vitamins, and minerals, and is widely consumed. In addition,

compared with fermented milk as a carrier, ice creams maintain a greater viability of

probiotic strains during production and particularly storage (Mohammadi et al. 2011).

2. Popularity among the general public:

Among probiotic dairy products, probiotic ice cream achieved wide popularity and with

projection predicting it to grow even more rapidly in the global market in the upcoming

years. Ice cream is a savory frozen dairy product that is relished by both sex, all age

group of every strata of the society, and every region of the world (Pal, Tesfaye &

Weldegebriel 2012).
 3. Viability:

Ice cream is an excellent carrier for probiotics due to its complex composition, which

includes milk proteins, fat, lactose as well as other compounds. Besides, compared to

fermented dairy products such as yogurt, fermented ice cream is stored at lower

temperature and higher pH value of 5.5-6.5, hence its alkaline medium is highly

advantageous for the survival of lactic acid producing probiotic cultures during storage

(Araújo et al. 2012).

4. Consumer acceptance

The lower acidity of probiotic ice cream (pH value of 5.5-6.5) compared to other

fermented dairy products also increases consumer acceptability, in particular among

consumers who prefer milder products (Araújo et al. 2012).

Potential problems:

1. Improper cooling process

2. Poor sensory properties of probiotic ice cream

3. Anaerobic nature of probiotic microorganisms

4. Post-contamination after pasteurization

Fortunately, there are several effective approaches to overcome each problems:

1. Implementation of rapid freezing process

2. Addition of cryoprotectants
 3. Addition of microencapsulated cells

4. Application of suitable packaging materials & utilization of oxygen scavengers

5. Application of heat treatment and deaeration to the milk

6. Implementation of HACCP system

The social, cultural, and economical values should be considered during all stages of product

development to make sure the food product meets the consumer’s ethical values and it is safe for

consumption. This research is conducted to analyse the potential problems and suggest

alternatives to solve the issues that may be faced by the Merlina Sdn. Bhd. during the production

of probiotic ice cream.

Introduction

Ice cream, a dairy product, is an important commodity in international trade since it is consumed

all around the globe. The incorporation of probiotic bacteria into ice cream is particularly

beneficial since, aside from being a functional healthy food, ice cream itself comprises beneficial

components such as dairy raw materials, vitamins, and minerals, and is widely consumed. In

addition, compared with fermented milk as a carrier, ice creams maintain a greater viability of

probiotic strains during production and particularly storage.

Nonetheless, losses in the viability of probiotic bacteria is unavoidable during processes such as

product formulation, processing, storage and melting. During these stages, the probiotic cells are

exposed to numerous stress factors associated with pH, redox potential, freezing, overrun, sugar

concentration, osmotic effects, hydrogen peroxide, fermentation and mechanical shearing.

Therefore, the maintenance of the viability of probiotics cultures until the end of the shelf life is

a paramount hurdle that needs to be overcome in order to develop an effective probiotic food

product (Mohammadi et al. 2011). The overall characteristics of the probiotic ice cream (taste

and packaging materials) have to be taken into account as the consumer acceptance is highly

dependent on it. Besides, food safety is a major concern in the food industry. One false step in

maintaining the food product’s safety may destroy the company’s reputation and cause

customers to lose confidence in our food products.

In developing the proposed food product, factors need to be highlighted include:

1. Sensory characteristics:

The appearance, texture, aroma and taste play a pivotal role in accessing the flavor

quality of foods; it measures the quality and the consumer’s acceptability on a certain

food product.

2. Viability of cultures:

In order to maintain the consumer confidence in our probiotic product, it is essential to

ensure a higher survival rate or at least an adequate dose of living microbes during

production and over the products’ shelf life (Mohammadi et al. 2011).

3. Safety:

The manufacturer should ensure that the food additives added are safe and free from

contamination at any stages, from production to consumption.

 4. Packaging:

Advances in packaging materials are able to extend shelf life, while adding convenience

and freshness to the food product.

Statement of problems and required analysis

1. Improper cooling process

One of the major issues occurs due to improper cooling processes. During the freezing process,

large ice crystals formed can be damaging to the cell walls or membranes of the cells, leading to

severe, or even lethal mechanical injuries to the probiotic cells. This issue greatly contributes to

the reduction in the cells’ fundamental metabolic activities. In general the size of the ice crystal

is dependent on the freezing rate. As the freezing rate decreases, the size of the ice crystal

formed increases. Furthermore, larger ice crystals give rise to greater damage to the cells.

Besides damaging the probiotic cells, large ice crystals may also have adverse impacts on the

textural properties of the ice cream. Ice crystals larger than 50 μm may lead to the development

of undesirable (coarse and grainy) texture of the ice cream. Consumers would prefer frozen

desserts with a smoother and creamier texture with smaller ice crystals ranging between 10 to 20

µm in size (Kamińska-Dwórznicka et al.2019).

2. Anaerobic nature of probiotic microorganisms

Food processes such as freezing and overrun incorporate a large amount of oxygen into the final

product. The rise in oxygen content and redox potential is detrimental to the viability of

microorganisms. Therefore, the physical properties of packaging materials and packaging

techniques are integral in preserving and maintaining the viability of probiotic cultures in frozen

food products, especially during the storage period. Most probiotics are anaerobes with

microaerophilic or anaerobic metabolism. They are extremely oxygen-sensitive, hence packaging

with higher oxygen permeability could reduce the probiotic load during storage. For this reason,

it is crucial to select a suitable packaging system to ensure that maximal probiotic cultures

remain viable until consumption (Mohammadi et al. 2011).

3. Poor sensory properties of probiotic ice cream

Generally, probiotics ice cream acquires weaker taste intensity, aroma and yogurt intensity

compared to the products prepared classically with fermented yogurt starters. Hence, the

development of probiotic ice cream is an inherently challenging task. Oftentimes, functional ice

cream presents poorer sensory characteristics than the conventional ice-cream. Acetic acid

synthesised by the Bifidobacteria through fermentation produces undesirable flavor and aroma to

dairy products. If the concentration of acetic acid is too high, it could give off an unpleasant

“vingegray taint” aroma to the final food product, prejudicing the performance in sensory

evaluations (Mohammadi et al. 2011). As probiotic cultures carry out different metabolic

pathways than the traditional one implemented to ferment milk, the consumer may find the taste

of the products added with probiotics rather unusual (Cruz et al. 2009).

4. Post-contamination after pasteurization

Besides, some microorganisms such as Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica and

Salmonella are able to survive even at low temperatures below the freezing point. Adequate heat

treatment by pasteurization is able to destroy most of the pathogens that pose a potential threat to
the health of consumers. However, post contamination after pasteurization may arise through the

contaminated ingredients and raw food, improper sanitized utensils, food handlers and faculty

handling (Pal, Tesfaye & Weldegebriel 2012). Food handlers can cause cross-contamination

between raw ingredients such as raw eggs and the finished products while handling batches of

food products. If proper food hygiene practices are not followed, careless and irresponsible

workers may jeopardize the food hygiene by executing improper preparation and storage of the

ice cream. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 81 foodborne illnesses were

caused by food contamination via food processing workers (Uçar, Yilmaz & Çakıroğlu 2016).

Resources

As mentioned in the previous section, the root problems Merlina Food Sdn. Bhd. may face

during the development of probiotic ice cream includes improper cooling process, poorer sensory

properties of probiotic ice cream, anaerobic nature of probiotic microorganisms and post-

contamination after pasteurization.

In order to develop a functional food of superior test and eating quality, there are some financial

resources needed. One financial resource required to solve the problem being the cost of

additional materials such as cryoprotectants (skim milk and trehalose), oxygen scavengers and

microencapsulated cells. Aside from that, Merlina Sdn. Bhd may also need to bear the higher

cost of packaging materials with higher quality and functionality. Incorporation of high energy

consumption equipment may lead to a rise in the electric and water bills of the company. If the

food processing equipment malfunctions, Merlina Sdn. Bhd. is also required to bear the cost of
the machinery maintenance fee. Similarly, if the processing equipment is broken, the company

needs to buy new equipment to replace the broken one.

Aside from financial resources, Human Resources (HR) are also needed to make sure food safety

practices are followed by all food processing workers. Food companies are vulnerable to

litigation brought by the consumers and government agencies over the production of or

distribution of low-quality food products. The employment of human resource teams are able to

protect the company from these costly litigations. Moreover, these HR personnel are able to

ensure that the company hires professional trainers so that the food handlers acquire sufficient

knowledge and training about safety protocols and hygienic measures. Hiring a food production

supervisor is able to ensure a smoother coordination of food processing and complete duties. At

last, the company also needs to employ an auditor to analyze, assess and evaluate whether

Merlina Sdn. Bhd. are following the HACCP rules periodically (Reynolds 2013).

Solution Approach

Implementation of rapid freezing

Figure 1. Air blast freezer in the factory

In order to minimize this threat, it is advisable to implement a rapid freezing process to prevent

the formation of large ice crystals in both the product and the probiotic cells within (Fenster et al.

2019). Rapid initial freezing is important to set up as many crystal nuclei as possible, therefore

during the maturation growth stage, the size of ice particles stays very small, giving the ice

cream its creamy consistency. Air blast freezer can be used to accelerate the freezing process. It

operates by blowing cold air over the food that is wheeled inside the insulated tunnel (Caballero,

Finglas & Toldra 2015).

Addition of cryoprotectants

Figure 2. The ice crystals formed in the absence (left) and presence(right) of cryoprotectants

Several studies reported that the addition of cryoprotectants sugars such as trehalose and skim

milk are able to improve the intactness and fluidity of the probiotic cell membrane during the

freeze-drying process and storage period. The presence of skim milk in trealose greatly enhanced

the protective effect due to a higher solid content in the mix. The combination of these two

disaccharides are able to maintain the structures of proteins, biomolecules, limit the intracellular

of vital structures, and maintain the function of these structures during the freezing stage. Hence,

the incorporation of cryoprotective agents is effective in minimizing the effect caused by the
formation of ice crystals and improving the survival rate of the two probiotics used (Jalali et al.

2012).

Addition of microencapsulated cells

A potential technological solution to be considered to overcome this possible undesired

consequences due to the presence of these cultures is by the addition of microencapsulated cells

of probiotic cultures to the ice cream mix. From a microbiological standpoint,

microencapsulation can be defined as a process of packaging microorganisms in a coating of

hydrocolloid in order to segregate the cells from the external environment. This method provides

advantages such as improvement and stabilization of sensory attributes and the immobilization of

the cells by contributing to the homogenous distribution throughout the food product.

Figure 3. Schematic flow of microencapsulation of sodium alginate

Aside from improving the sensory attributes, several findings reported that the incorporation of

microencapsulated cells to food products is also an effective alternative to increase the viability

of probiotic bacteria and fermented dairy frozen food products. The probiotics are encapsulated
with sodium alginate and carrageenan microgels. The generated hydrocolloids are able to protect

the probiotic cells from the gastrointestinal tract and detrimental external factors such as low pH,

chemical antimicrobial agents and heat shocks caused by spray drying (Mohammadi et al. 2011).

The incorporation of microencapsulated L. acidophilus and L. bacillus to yogurt can improve the

survival of these beneficial bacteria by 0.5 -1 log cycle (Homayouni et al. 2012). Encapsulated

probiotic frozen desserts exhibited a higher viability of >105 CFU/g, compared to the cell counts

of <103 CFU/g in the food product of non-encapsulated probiotic cultures. A mean diameter for

calcium alginate of 30μm is suitable for the use of dairy products. Larger beads may cause

undesirable texture such as coarseness while smaller beads are not sufficient or effective enough

in protecting the probiotics (Mohammadi et al. 2011).

Application of suitable packaging materials & utilization of oxygen scavengers

The internal oxygen concentration within the package during the storage period should be

maintained as low as possible to prevent toxicity and the death of probiotic bacteria. The

application of packaging materials that are impermeable to oxygen, increasing the thickness of

packaging materials, utilizing oxygen scavengers or using the combination of such techniques

(hurdle technology), are effective approaches to decrease the molecular oxygen level in the

probiotic food products.

Oxygen scavengers, for instance L-ascorbic acid and L-cysteine can be used to minimize the

amount of oxygen present in probiotic ice cream. The presence of L-cysteine is useful in

improving the bacterial recovery by providing amino nitrogen, which is a growth factor for
probiotic cells. Besides, it is also effective in reducing the redox potential of the ice cream. It

should be noted that the use of a low level (50 mg/kg) of L-cysteine is recommended in probiotic

dairy products.

Application of heat treatment and deaeration to the milk

Furthermore, the application of heat treatment and deaeration to the milk used for the

fermentation of dairy milk products are some other alternatives to decrease the molecular oxygen

levels as well as to reduce the redox potential of probiotics ice creams (Mohammadi et al. 2011).

Implementation of HACCP system

In order to guarantee the safety of probiotic ice cream production, the Hazard Analysis Critical

Control Point (HACCP) system needs to be implemented in the production process. This system

is addressed as a food safety management system that focuses on the analysis and control of

biological, physical and chemical hazards from the raw material production to the consumption

of finished product.

Maintaining a clean work environment is critical for ensuring that dairy products are not

recontaminated. Certain bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes require moisture for growth.

Hence, it is important to keep the factory floor and other surfaces dry at all times so that L.

monocytogenes may not have the opportunity to grow on them. The utensils and equipment in

the bakery should be kept in hygienic conditions (Pal, Tesfaye & Weldegebriel 2012).
Training programs in good food hygiene practices should be imparted to all food handling

workers. The hygiene practices that should be performed by food processing workers include

precise adherence to personal hygiene regulations and the wearing of special, protective attire

such as bonnets and gloves to help them secure their hygiene. The practice of proper hand

washing is equally important to prevent cross-contamination by food-borne diseases such as

Staphylococcus Aureus (Uçar, Yilmaz & Çakıroğlu 2016).

Besides, the processing equipment should be properly cleaned and sanitized after each

production cycle. In addition, microbial tests should be done periodically by using swab and

rinse techniques to ensure that equipment is not contaminated with harmful bacterias (Pal,

Tesfaye & Weldegebriel 2012).

Conclusion and Impact

In conclusion, ice creams as a vehicle have a high potential in delivering probiotic strains, with

the advantage of being foods consumed by all age groups. Nevertheless, to ensure that maximal

viable dose of probiotics is maintained in the frozen product, several parameters in the

processing stages ought to be optimized. The potential problems that may arise includes

improper cooling process, poorer sensory properties of probiotic ice cream, anaerobic nature of

probiotic microorganisms and post-contamination after pasteurization. Several corrective

measures need to be done in order to tackle these potential issues, including: implementation of

rapid freezing process, addition of cryoprotectants, addition of microencapsulated cells,

application of a more suitable packaging materials, utilization of oxygen scavengers, application

of heat treatment and deaeration to the milk and the implementation of HACCP system in the
company. Besides that, other additional measures can be carried out such as the testing of

microbial load in the ingredients should be done from time to time. This will undoubtedly

improve the products’ quality, extend its shelf life, maintain its safety, as well as minimizing the

incidence of food poisoning outbreaks.

Even though multiple studies have proven that sufficient viability of the probiotic cultures during

storage of ice cream, more clinical studies on the consumption of probiotic ice creams are

recommended. It is also important to confirm if probiotic cultures can still provide the same

health benefits in other food with shorter shelf life and higher storage temperatures, such as

yogurt and fermented milk after a long period of storage. Furthermore, the launching of

probiotic-fortified ice creams should be accompanied by educational campaigns, aiming to

encourage consumers to consume more frequently and showing them the benefits provided by

change of this behavior (Cruz et al. 2009). Lastly, food manufacturers have to seek to satisfy the

consumer by considering social, cultural and financial values to generate profits, fulfil the

consumer needs and promote food safety to the consumers.

(3008 words)
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