Ice-structuring proteins in ice cream

Antifreeze proteins have recently aroused interest in the technical and popular media because of their potential applications in medicine, agriculture and food, particularly in ice cream. Recently, another name, which more accurately describes their function in these applications - "ice-structuring proteins" - has been proposed. Although they are a structurally diverse group of proteins (found in fish, insects, plants, lichen and bacteria), they have in common the property that they inhibit or modify the growth of ice crystals. Their ability to dramatically slow down recrystallization has lead to proposals that they could be used in ice cream to preserve the fine distribution of ice crystals produced in the factory through the distribution chain, and thereby deliver a superior product to the consumer. This paper describes the origins and properties of ISPs, and focuses on their potential use in ice cream.