Week 4: Report

Effect of Chemical Compounds on Increasing the Shelf Life of Ice Cream in Ontario
Introduction

Ice cream is a well-known frozen dessert around the world and is relished by people of diverse
age groups. According to a Statista report, it was found out that about a quarter of Canadians
eat ice cream between two and three times a month, and nearly two per cent eat ice cream
daily (Statista, 2109).

Ice cream is regarded as a moist and nutrient-rich food that is prone to spoilage due to
microorganisms. Be that as it may, ice cream, despite being enjoyed by people of all ages, has a
short shelf life and this poses a huge problem to business owners and consumers. As a result,
many researchers across the globe are constantly seeking new ideas to extend the shelf life of
ice cream, including preserving its safety and quality.

To increase the shelf life of ice cream, a chemical compound is added to deter the growth of
microorganisms. Hence, this comprehensive report is written to compare the shelf life of ice
cream treated with a chemical compound to that of untreated ice cream.

Method/Comparison with Ontario Health Standards

In the received test, two groups of ice cream samples were treated: one of the groups was
treated with a chemical compound and the other group wasn’t. The groups of ice cream were
treated with four types of organisms namely; yeasts and molds, aerobic bacteria, coliforms and
lactobacilli. It also showed that the samples were treated on four different days which are; 01,
08, 15 and 20 and the results were represented on a table. It is noteworthy that the chemical
utilized in the study is safe and approved by health standards as they are used as food additives
in various foods to impede wasting or spoilage as well as enhance spoilage.

The results obtained from the Microbiology Department show that the treated ice creams had
significantly lower levels of all types of mentioned microorganisms than the untreated samples.
From this, it can be concluded that chemical compounds significantly influence the growth of
microorganisms in ice cream. Since the treated samples had lower levels of microorganisms on
days 01, 08, 15 and 20; it means that the chemical compound aided the shelf life of the ice
cream.

According to Canadian standard of Identity of Diary products modified in 2021, it is stated in

41 Ice Cream Mix is the food that meets the standard set out in section B.08.061 of the FDR.

42. Light Ice Cream Mix is the unfrozen, pasteurized food composed of cream, milk or other
milk products, or any combination of them, that is sweetened with sugar, liquid sugar, invert
sugar, honey, dextrose, glucose, corn syrup, corn syrup solids or any combination of them. It
(a) must contain at least 33% total solids and 5% milk fat;

(b) must contain not more than 7.5% milk fat or, if cocoa or chocolate syrup has been added,
not more than 6% milk fat; and

(c) may contain

● (i) egg;
● (ii) a flavouring preparation;
● (iii) cocoa or chocolate syrup or both;
● (iv) food additives permitted in ice cream mix; and
● (v) salt
43. Frozen Dairy Dessert Mix is the unfrozen, pasteurized food composed of milk, cream or
other milk products, or any combination of them, that is sweetened with sweetening agents.

● (b) It must contain not more than

The Ontario Health standards show the microbiological limits for yeast and molds, aerobic
bacteria, coliforms, and Lactobacillus acidophilus. This can be viewed from the picture sourced
from the Public Health Ontario Website: https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/Laboratory-
Services/Test-Information-Index/Food-Testing
 Source: Public Health Ontario

In the results provided, approaches available for conducting Microbial shelf-life tests for ice
cream were tested. From the results represented in the tabular form, it should be noted that
the treated samples which are labeled (T) depict lower levels of all four types of
microorganisms than the untreated samples which are represented with(UT). Simply put, the
results from the table imply that the chemical compound added to the treated has a significant
effect on the shelf life of the ice cream, that is, there was an increase.

All four types of microorganisms tested were lower in the treated samples than in the
untreated samples on all days of testing. This suggests that the chemical compound had a
significant effect on reducing the growth of these microorganisms in ice cream. The Ontario
Health standards for ice cream include microbiological limits for years molds, aerobic bacteria,
coliforms, and Lactobacillus acidophilus. The treated samples all met these standards on all
days of testing, while the untreated samples did not meet all of the standards on all days of
testing. This suggests that the chemical compound helped to improve the food safety of the ice
cream.

However, from the results presented, there isn’t enough information to understand the extent
to which the chemical compound aided the increment of the treated ice cream shelf life but it
can be said that the treated ice cream had lower levels of the four mentioned types of
microorganism which is beyond the results obtained for the untreated ice cream after 20 days.
So, it is safe to say that the chemical compound had a valid influence on the extension of the ice
cream shelf life.

Impact on Food Safety

The chemical enhances food safety by preventing the growth of microorganisms in ice cream
areducesesf foodborne safety in consumption. The extensive on of shelllifeream helps to
prevent food poisoning as it is caused by food contaminated with bacteria that are harmful to
the body. The reduction of the levels of bacteria in the ice ensures safety during consumption
by consumers instead of food poisoning. Also, checompoundsmpoundhelpsp to reduce the
amount of food waste as consumers would be less likely to discard spoilt ice cream.

Conclusion

The results of the study suggest that the chemical compound that was added to the treated
sample affected the shelf life of the ice cream. This could have a significant impact on food
safety by reducing the risk of food poisoning.

Recommendation

In all, further research should be carried out to decipher the optimal dosage of the chemical
compound and its long-term effects on ice cream quality and safety as well as other frozen
foods. If the chemical compound is proven and certified to be safe and effective for some time
by health standards, it can be recommended to the food industry to be utilized for the
extension of the shelf life of ice cream and reduction in the risk of food poisoning in the long
run.

References

Park J., Koh J. & Kim J.(2018).Predicting Shelf-life of Ice Cream by Accelerated Conditions.2018
Dec; 38(6): 1216–1225. Published online 2018 Dec
31.doi:10.5851/kosfa.2018.e55.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6335139/

Public Health Ontario. https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/Laboratory-Services/Public-

Statista (2019).
https://www.statista.com/topics/4791/frozen-desserts-in-canada/#topicOverview

Government of Canada (2021).