Desenvolvimento de sorvete zero açúcar enriquecido com óleos vegetais

Abstract

With the growing demand for a healthy diet that promotes health and well-being, there has been an increasing interest in functional foods. The inclusion of phytosterol-rich vegetable oils and the reduction of sugar in food products offer several health benefits, such as improving blood lipid profiles and circulatory health. Vegetable oils are excellent sources of omega-3 and omega-6, which can help lower blood cholesterol levels, reduce hypertension, diabetes, and obesity, and prevent congenital diseases, while also contributing to overall health improvement. Thus, the complete replacement of animal fat with vegetable oil could provide various possibilities for using phytosterols in food products like ice cream, offering potential health benefits along with an appealing taste. The objective of this project was to develop and conduct a sensory evaluation of an ice cream product with zero added sugar, enriched with phytosterols. The goal was to assess the feasibility of fully replacing heavy cream with vegetable oil and substituting sugar with a blend of sweeteners, emphasizing the functional benefits of phytosterols and the glycemic reduction achieved through sweetener use. The developed formulations were analyzed using different types of fats. Among the three formulations, the sunflower oil-based formulation (F1) achieved the best results, standing out compared to the others, with a 73% acceptance rate. The physicochemical analyses showed similar results across all formulations, with the primary difference being moisture loss due to the amount of oil used. These findings demonstrate that replacing heavy cream with vegetable oil did not compromise sensory acceptance, indicating that this substitution is a viable alternative for ice cream production