Estudo da embalagem no desenvolvimento de um bolo gelado, com intuito de manter/preservar as suas características organoléticas

Abstract

This report was developed in the context of the curricular internship that took place at the company Artiframi – Gelados Artesanais. There were two main objectives: to develop a new ice cream cake and to study the best packaging for its storage To achieve the goal of formulating an ice cream cake, considering the options presented by the company and market trends, it was defined as target that the ice cream cake would have a pistachio flavour, and would be vegan, gluten free and reduced sugar content. However, the “low sugar content” claim was achieved only for the pistachio ice cream and not for the ice cream cake. The ice cream cake could be considered vegan. Despite containing only naturally gluten-free ingredients, it was not possible to make a “gluten-free” claim. The ice cream cake consisted of two layers: a top layer of ice cream and a base of nuts. To highlight the characteristic green colour of pistachio ice cream, spinach leaves were used. The packages used by Artiframi were simple kraft cardboard boxes (package 1) that led to changes in the organoleptic characteristics of the ice cream cake stored. Considering environmental issues, to study the best packaging, two additional packages were included: a packaging made of a biodegradable material - sugarcane fibre (package 2) and a package composed of kraft cardboard with a plastic cap (package 3). The behaviour of the three packages was predicted through the water vapor transfer rate and surface wettability. Package 3 proved to be the best, and the results were confirmed in the analysis of the iced cake during storage. The pistachio ice cream cakes were stored in the three different packages for a period of 90 days. Monthly, the following parameters were monitored: microbiological growth, humidity, pH, total acidity, colour, and sensory analysis to study changes in appearance, odour, texture, and taste. The ice cream cakes stored in package 3, compared to the others, had less variation in total acidity, less moisture loss, less colour changes and better acceptability by the panel of evaluators. It was concluded that package 3 is the one that best preserves the organoleptic characteristics of the pistachio ice cream cake, for a period of 2 months.

Date of Award	12 Jan 2023
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Maria de Fátima Poças (Supervisor)