Cream as a Complex Fluid

Ice cream mix, which is a solution of sugars and stabilizers and a suspension of fat droplets, is a shear-thinning liquid. Its viscosity (rj) is given as a function of shear rate (y) by 

At — 5 C (the temperature at which it normally leaves the factory freezer) ice cream is a viscoelastic, shear-thinning fluid. Like the mix, it obeys the power-law equation, but with different values of b and n. As its temperature is lowered, it becomes more solid-like. Below about — 12°C it displays a yield stress whose value increases as the temperature decreases further. 

So far we have considered how the microstructure relates to the physical properties of ice cream. The sensory properties, however, are determined not only by the microstructure, but also by how it breaks 

When ice cream is eaten it is not only warmed up but also deformed by the mouth and tongue. The nature of the deformation depends on the type of product. Ice lollies are usually sucked, ice cream is spooned or bitten and then allowed to warm up in the mouth before being squashed between the tongue and the roof of the mouth, and soft ice 

---