Influence of palm-based nanocellulose as fat substitute for reduced fat ice creams

Ice cream is a popular frozen dessert highly favoured by consumers due to its creamy and smooth texture, light and airy properties, and rich taste contributed by dietary fats. However, its high calorie content poses several health risks. Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), composed of nanoscale fibres can replace fats in food by providing the necessary structural properties. This study produced NFC from palm dried long fibre (DLF), a by-product of the oil palm industry. The DLF-NFC exhibited high viscosity (108.23 ± 1.22 mPa s) and aspect ratio (27.61 ± 0.26) at a concentration of 0.6%. The addition of NFC improved ice cream texture by significantly increasing the viscosity and first dripping time through a three-dimensional cellulosic network which provided a bridging effect, enhancing partial coalescence within the ice cream. Overall, the addition of DLF-NFC at 0.4% and 0.6% significantly improved the performance of 5 and 10% reduced fat ice creams, respectively. Higher NFC levels (0.8% and 1.0%) did not improve overrun values but increased the meltdown rate due to excessive partial coalescence causing structural instability. This study laid the foundation to produce a low-calorie ice cream using economical, widely available local raw materials, contributing to the effort in reducing various health complications.