We often comment as to whether frozen desserts actually need emulsifiers or stabilizers. After all, for many years, some of the most notable ice creams have been produced completely without the use of any added stabilization.

In nearly all cases, inclusions of any type/amount will directly, or indirectly, reduce a defined textural shelf life of any ice cream.

Few processes are as critical, misunderstood and poorly executed as homogenization. Proper homogenization is both an art and a science.

Stabilizers and emulsifiers are "mighty mites" - with low use rates, they have a major influence(s) on the chemistry, physics and behavior of ice cream. But are they really necessary? It depends.

Understanding and managing the shelf life of ice cream and related products is difficult enough. Maximizing (i.e., extending) the shelf life is the study of a lifetime.

Sucrose (i.e., sugar) remains the "gold standard" among all sweeteners. However, when considering novel applications, including approaches to cost reduction, reducing "total sugars" or reducing calories, alternatives to sucrose may be more appropriate.

The perception of any flavor (F) is a combination of appearance (A), aroma (A), acidity (A), taste (T), texture (T) and temperature (T), or "FAAATTT." Although these attributes hold for most foods and food ingredients, they do not capture the whole of the chemical and physical challenges in flavoring plant-based frozen desserts.

Sweeteners of all types are used in frozen desserts for a variety of straightforward reasons.