Daily Health Tips

Posts Tagged ‘ice cream’

The ice cream is a product that can multiply pathogens such as Salmonella, E.coli and Staphylococcus aureus, although the risk decreases or disappears with cold storage, a product is sensitive to temperature fluctuations. If you break the cold chain quality may be compromised.

Whenever we reach granules or crystals of water means that at some point he has made a mistake, as the breaking of the cold chain, affecting more ice creams are prepared by dairy products, which the ice.

Another type is the soft ice cream that is served from machines in the street, making it one of the largest ice cream microbial risk is concentrated mainly in the nozzle where it exits the ice exposed to external conditions and manipulation of the consumer himself.

Such machines have a mix or blend a cold enough temperature, but not frozen. When you press the dispenser, a pump is activated from aspiring product as it exits the tank and air is injected to a concentration of 50%, which helps give the proper consistency and texture. The temperatures at which they cool is -10 º C. The final product is not as cold as other ice cream and its consistency is more creamy and soft.

Technological advances and the legal regulation have allowed to extend the shelf life of ice cream and ensure quality and safety. Manufacturers, ice cream artisans, distributors, wholesalers, importers and retailers must meet specific regulations. It includes the obligation to take a self-control and implement a system of hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP), the reference system to ensure food safety. Eating ice cream is not without risk, in most cases associated with poor handling during processing and distribution.

The detection of potential deterioration is complex, since the physical, chemical and microbiological changes that occur are minimal. A key is the commercial presentation: glasses, cups or trays, or as part of other foods: waffles, biscuits, pastries, syrups, liqueurs and fruit.

All should be stored in closed containers and protected and professional handlers who must have the food handler card. These people are a cause of microbial contamination.

In outlets should take preventive measures to avoid cross contamination, for example with spoons served with ice cream. The frozen remains of microorganisms may develop, hence the importance of ensuring cleanliness in the facility. The rags used to clean themselves and utensils are also a source of contamination. The right thing is to use a spoon for each type of ice cream, and avoid keeping them in water, because if it does not change often, it becomes a breeding ground for microorganisms.

The packaged ice cream and served closed represent less risk. but check that the lid is not convex, that the packaging has not been broken, indicating the date of manufacture and expiry.

The food experts at Consumer Eroski recommend not consuming ice cream in large quantities or too frequently, they are very energetic (between 210 and 320 calories per hundred grams, except for ‘light’ and no sugar), contain large amounts of sugar and mostly saturated fat, the less healthy. And counsel also take hygienic measures and preservation of the temperature to avoid the development of contaminating organisms.

Because the ice cream comes from a blend of quality foods such as milk, yogurt, fruits and nuts, is nutritious and tasty, even easier to digest. The ‘ice cream’ have more fat than simply called ‘frozen’ and is the fat from cream, butter or vegetable oil, which adds calories.

The nutritional value of ice cream depends on its components. The key is the amount of water, ranging from 85% -90% on poles and sorbets to only 45% -60% in ice cream themselves. A more water, less nutrients, but also less fat and fewer calories.

They are also fundamental milk, which can be whole and skimmed and in many ice cream is barely present, and fats, which may be dairy (butter, cream) or vegetable (some, very saturated, less healthy, such as oil coconut), and even partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, unhealthy, for its trans fats. Then there are added sugars (representing between 20% and 30% of GDP), among which sucrose, table sugar and glucose syrup.

Finally, to make ice cream nutrition assessment must take into account that sometimes complementary ingredients contained in its composition: chocolate, nuts, juice concentrates, fruit, eggs, nougat, biscuits or cakes.

But the ice cream also contain additives, allowed to ensure its quality or improved sensory characteristics. Among others, the manufacturers use natural colors like caramel (E-150) and carotenes (E-160), emulsifiers that keep homogeneous mixture of ingredients (mono and diglycerides of fatty acids E-471, lecithin), and thickeners extracted seed and algae, which increase the viscosity of the product (carragenate E-407, E-412 guar gum, sodium alginate, E-400, etc.).. In a few preservatives are added ice cream.

The conclusion is obvious: the ice cream dessert is a tasty, nutritious and supports a balanced diet but should not be considered an appetizer for any time of day. Their high energy (attention, obese individuals), sugar (id. diabetic) and fat (mostly between 70% and 95%, Saturated: increase the incidence of cardiovascular disease) requires preferentially consume dessert and always in moderation.

This is likely part of a balanced eating plan. Recall that bring in around 220 calories per hundred grams, ie twice or more than other dairy desserts like sweet rice pudding, yogurt, pudding or custard. One interesting option is to choose the presentations of low fat ice cream and less sugar.

The ice cream is for summer, but in our country is consolidating its seasonality trend: they are consumed throughout the year, as in Northern Europe and Latin America. However, we prefer to taste them when the sun squeezed. Strawberry, chocolate, cream, vanilla, whipped milk and cream, this was the stark choice of flavors that are offered not even that long ago. Today we would need much of this page to list the endless list of forms and flavors of ice cream.

That, as understood by ordinary consumers, are the product resulting from beating and freezing a mixture, pasteurized and homogenized milk or ingredients derived from dairy and other foods like sugar and nuts. But of those who can hardly speak in general terms, given the wide differences in nutritional composition that maintain different types of ice cream.

Legally there are six headings: ‘ice cream‘ (at least 8% fat, which is to be milk, and a minimum of 2.5% protein, also from milk), ‘frozen‘ (at least 5% fat, which can not be milk, and protein-free requirement of a minimum quantity, from the dairy sources); ‘ice milk‘ (at least 2.5% milk fat and 6% of milk solids non); ‘Skim Milk Ice‘ (not more than 0,3% milk fat and at least 6% of milk solids non); ‘ice water‘ (minimum, 12 % of total extract) and ‘Sorbet‘ (at least, 15.5% fruit and 20% of total extract).

Usually known as ice cream to the first four trade names: ice cream, ice cream, ice milk and skimmed milk ice cream. The market also offers ice cream no sugar, no fructose, no preservatives, no flavorings, with less air incorporated, with less fat, less calories, with a minimum of fruit, ice author. We can enjoy this summer as palatable food (candy not because its content, especially fat and carbohydrates-essentially sugars, but also proteins, it is significant), and in fact do: in 2008 each Spanish consumed 6.5 liters of ice cream, half similar to the European.