Question

The overrun kept in soft serve ice cream is about :

• A. 25%
• B. 50%
• C. 75%
• D. 95%

Hint:

Soft serve freezers rely on gravity or simple pump feeds that incorporate air at atmospheric pressure, naturally limiting the overrun to around \(30-50\%\) to maintain a creamy, stable structure.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Overrun is the volume of air incorporated into an ice cream mix during the freezing process, expressed as a percentage of the original liquid mix volume.
Air cell incorporation is essential to give ice cream its characteristic light, smooth, and scoopable texture.
Detailed Explanation:
The target overrun varies significantly depending on the type of frozen dessert and the freezing equipment used:
- Packaged Commercial Ice Cream: Typically has a high overrun of \(70\%\) to \(100\%\), produced using continuous freezers under pressure.
- Soft Serve Ice Cream: This product is frozen and served directly from the freezer without a hardening step.
It must have a denser, warmer, and creamier consistency.
If the overrun is too high (e.g., \(75\%\) or \(95\%\)), the product will melt too quickly, lose its shape on the cone, and feel excessively airy.
If the overrun is too low (e.g., \(25\%\)), the product will feel heavy, wet, and cold.
Therefore, soft serve ice cream is typically formulated and frozen to maintain a moderate overrun of \(33\%\) to \(50\%\) (with \(50\%\) being the standard target value).

Step 2: Final Answer:
The overrun maintained in soft serve ice cream is about 50%.