Scientific Justification of Innovations in the Production of Functional Frozen Desserts

Topicality. Functional nutrition is a modern concept of a healthy diet that involves using ingredients not only with high nutritional value but also with biological activity, contributing to the promotion of health and reduction of the risk of certain diseases. Milk and dairy products hold a leading position among functional foods, which are considered foods of both the today and the future. As a popular representative of the dessert group, ice cream plays a significant role in the market due to its high nutritional value, formulation flexibility and broad age range of consumers. In such a context, the development and implementation by domestic manufacturers of innovative dessert food products made exclusively from natural raw materials, with reduced caloric content, enriched with valuable plant-based components and biologically active substances, is a relevant and important direction in the modern food industry. The aim of the article is to analyse the domestic ice cream market, identify the main tendencies in the production of functional ice cream and provide a scientific basis for the development of low-lactose ice cream formulations with probiotic properties. The research process applies methods of empirical and theoretical generalisation, analysis and synthesis of scientific and technical information, expert evaluation of market development tendencies, as well as elements of experimental modelling of low-lactose ice cream formulations based on using probiotic cultures and components that reduce lactose content. Results. Innovative recipes of ice cream with combined protein composition using soy yogurt and plant-based components as sources of biologically active substances are created. Conclusions and discussion. A promising direction for the development of the ice cream industry is the targeted production of innovative types of functional frozen desserts, using technologically effective ingredients and enrichers with a sanative potential.