Selecting Your Stabilizer: Frozen Desserts

Stabilizer insights provided by our account manager Aaron Jordi.

4 Factors that will Affect your Formulation

Formulating frozen desserts seems straight forward enough, but it is important to set the framework of your product in order to select the best ingredients for your unique formulation, especially when it comes to stabilizers!  Stabilizers are often complicated components of any recipe and can make or break the quality of your product.  These complex ingredients are not all created equal and can affect your product differently.  Consider application, process, label needs, and cost expectations in order to select the stabilizer that is right for your frozen dessert.

Application & Functionality

Defining the desired outcome, the end goal, can help narrow down the many choices for formulation.  Are you looking to extend shelf life? Maybe you’re trying to improve the texture or structure and formulate a better bite or chew.  Are you trying to reduce iciness? Ingredient systems can be optimized to fit your product’s demands, but you’ll be more likely to get the desired the outcome if you start the process knowing the end goal.

Two broad categories of stabilizers are water-binders and emulsifiers.  Water-binding stabilizers impede ice crystal growth.  It is important to note they interact with dairy and non-dairy proteins differently, and will affect the freezing point and structure of your formulation.  Emulsifying stabilizers slow the separation of water and oil.  This ensures your formula is consistent throughout the product and process.

You must also determine whether you should use a raw supply or a blend.  Raw supply of stabilizers works best for companies with thorough internal testing controls and possess the in-house capability to run quality tests.  The benefits of blending with raw supply include bulk pricing, ownership over the ingredients and cost savings.  The benefits of purchasing a blend include the simplification of consistency, reliable results and ease-of-use.

Process

Stabilizers are greatly affected by three aspects of processing: time, temperature and sheer.  These three components will influence how the stabilizer works in your formulation.

First, establish your time frame; how long will it take for you product to go from farm to fork? The longer your product spends in process, the more likely you are to experience serum separation.  Analyze your process, and determine the areas that could cut down on handling time, then make changes!  High efficiency will be more lucrative and consistent.

Second, understand that different stabilizers react differently to temperature.  All ingredients interact uniquely and these interactions will vary depending on the concentration in different formulas.  Consider the different pasteurizing methods.  For example, certain stabilizers will work best in UHT (ultra high temperature) while others will be optimal in HTST (high-temperature short-time). Even VAT (low temperature) pasteurization will call for a unique formulation.

Third, consider your mixing process. Less sheer may call for more stabilizer in order to suspend particles.  However, more thorough mixing may call for less as the stabilizer will be better hydrated and a higher percentage will activate.  Depending on your mixing capabilities, you may find easily dispersible and soluble ingredients more functional.  In summary, your processing setup will dictate what ingredients will best perform.

Label & Allergen Concerns

The first question to ask is, “What don’t you want?”  It is important to establish what your customers care about. Label claims directly influence who will pick up your product.  Perhaps non-GMO speaks to your customer base, or maybe it’s time to establish a gluten free line. Whatever the case, knowing your target customer will make formulating a straight forward, logical process.  It will quickly narrow down your stabilizer options and ensure you can market your product to the right consumer.

It is also true that some major retailers have official lists of acceptable ingredients.  This will likely become more common as consumers demand more label regulation, and you must be prepared to revisit your label.  Make sure to partner with formulators who are equipped to navigate shifting consumer and public demands.

Cost & Risk Management

First, the most cost effective system isn’t necessarily the best system for your product.  Sourcing will largely affect cost due to the volatility of supply and demand.  This can be curbed by a long term contract in order to balance risk or creating a flexible formulation which will allow you to substitute for more cost effective ingredients as needed.  Preemptive flexible formulation can lessen your sourcing risks including price jumps and supply chain interruptions.

In Summary

All things considered, selecting the right stabilizer for your product is important and deserves your time and attention.  In order to set yourself on the right path, establish the desired functionality of your stabilizer, consider how it will be affected by your product processing, determine which label claims you do and don’t want, negotiate a fair price, and work on creating a flexible formula.  These steps will make this process simpler and set your product up for success.  If you are exploring your stabilizer options, reach out to Agropur Ingredients through [email protected] or request a sample through our website.  Keystone 9451, an all-purpose stabilizer-emulsifier blend, is a great place to start!