New ingredient makes ice cream melt slower

A new ingredient could revolutionize the ice cream industry around the world. Researchers at Edinburgh and Dundee universities in the UK have discovered a natural protein called BslA that can make food more melt-resistant.

It is able to combine air, fat and water, creating a smoother, more compact consistency and allowing less saturated fat to be used in manufacturing, which reduces the number of calories in ice cream. The protein adheres to the fat droplets and air bubbles, making the mixture more stable.

Scientists have reproduced in the laboratory the element, which appears naturally in some foods, turning it into a "friendly bacteria". It is estimated that the new ice cream can reach the shelves within three to five years, impacting not only the way it produces but also the product distribution.