Slow-melting ice cream on the horizon

Scientists in Scotland have made a discovery that could improve a longtime summertime snacking tradition in the next few years.

According to a recent BBC News article, teams at the Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee have found a protein that can help ice cream stay frozen longer when it's hot out. It may be available as soon as three to five years.

The naturally occurring protein, called BsIA, fuses the air, fat and water found in ice cream. Beyond helping ice cream last longer before it melts, the protein packs other benefits: it can be used to get a smoother texture that eliminates ice crystals, and also could help make products with lower levels of saturated fat and less calories (but preserve the flavour).

The scientists figured out how to produce BsIA, which is currently used in fermentation with some foods. As professor Cait MacPhee says, "It's a natural product rather than being a 'Frankenstein' food."

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