Physicochemical and sensory properties of vegan ice cream using upcycled Aquasoya powder

Abstract

Aquasoya (AS) powder arouses great interest as a cost-effective vegan ingredient. In our study, AS was used to develop vegan ice cream products. Different total solid content (TSC) (31%, 33%, 35%, 37%, and 39% w/w) of ice cream mix was changed by the addition of AS powder. pH, emulsion properties, brix, colour, viscosity, overrun, melting properties, texture profile analysis (TPA), and sensory evaluations were investigated. The pH of each AS (31%, 33%, 35%, 37%, 39%) ice cream mix sample was 5.70–5.81, with no significant variance in AS content. Notably, the 39% AS led to higher Brix and viscosity scores. Moreover, the highest overrun in AS ice cream was observed in the sample containing 39% TSC. In contrast, the 31%, 33%, and 35% samples exhibited lower viscosities. However, the 37% and 39% samples displayed higher viscosities, leading to a longer-lasting appearance. Regarding sensory evaluation, the 39% sample received the highest ratings for overall taste intensity, colour, smell, bean smell, flavour, taste, astringency, and bitterness. However, it scored the lowest for sweetness, softness, and melting degree. Generally, a higher AS content corresponds to stronger overall characteristics. Additionally, acceptance evaluations showed that panels tended to favour ice cream with lower AS content. All these findings suggest that AS ice cream could be potentially developed using vegan ingredients, offering enhanced nutritional and sensory attributes while serving as an effective emulsifier.