14 DAY TRIAL // You know how sometimes when you're eating an ice cream the darn thing begins to melt way faster than you can gulp it down and, even more annoying, starts dripping all over your favorite T-shirt?
Well, researchers at the University of Edinburgh and their colleagues at the University of Dundee think they've found a solution to this conundrum: science-made ice cream that would take considerably longer to melt, even in insanely hot weather.
The trick is adding just one protein to the usual recipe
To create ice cream that doesn't instantly melt the moment it encounters hot air, the Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee scientists propose adding just one very special protein to the usual list of ingredients.
This magical protein, known as BslA (Biofilm surface level A), is naturally occurring in soybeans. The researchers say that, if added to run-of-the-mill ice cream, it would help bind the air, the fat and the water in it together.
In turn, this would make the frozen treat hot-weather-proof, the specialists argue. Otherwise put, ice cream spiked with BslA would take longer to melt, giving us more time to eat it before it begins to drip into oblivion.
“The protein binds together the air, fat and water in ice cream, creating a super-smooth consistency. The new ingredient could enable ice creams to keep frozen for longer in hot weather,” the scientists explain.
As noted, BslA is naturally occurring in certain foods. Having figured how to manufacture it in the lab with the help of bacteria, the researchers behind this study expect to find how to add it to ice cream in 3-5 years.
The protein would also make ice cream much creamier
Apart from making ice cream more resistant to heat, BslA could deliver much creamier frozen treats, again by binding the air, the fat and the water together and preventing the formation of ice crystals.
In turn, this means the ice cream of the future could have a perfectly satisfying smoothness while at the same time containing lower levels of fat and, consequently, fewer calories.
“The development could allow products to be manufactured with lower levels of saturated fat - and fewer calories - than at present,” the Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee team explains.