Ice Cream MICROSTRUCTURE?...What?

Ice cream microstructure? What? First of all, the definition of microstructure is “the fine structure (in a metal or other material) that can be made visible and examined with a microscope”. Still, why talk about that? Because it shows how a completely new product can be created with a new and very different process. I was visiting a friend in San Antonio and we went out for some ice cream. We somewhat randomly ended up at a place called Sub Zero Ice Cream (subzeroicecream.com), a place neither of us had been before. It was unlike any ice cream shop we had ever seen. The ice cream was made right in front of us by pouring liquid nitrogen on top of a small puddle of heavy cream and stirring the cream as it flash froze into ice cream before our eyes. It looked like a Science Fair demonstration, very theatrical, lots of liquid nitrogen “smoke”. Making ice cream this way is much more exciting than scooping it out of a pail! I was relieved they ice cream makers did not freeze their fingers off when making the ice cream; it seemed like a real possibility! Subzero says that this rapid freezing of the cream produces a very different structure in the ice cream compared to the regular refrigeration method. Per Sub Zero: “Flash freezing makes for a smoother, creamier product than traditional ice cream because the water doesn’t form large ice crystals”. This consideration of the ice crystals is how we ended up discussing microstructure! The ice cream tasted wonderful, extra creamy as advertised. Interestingly, Sub Zero has patented this scheme for making ice cream to protect against competitors who could easily copy their idea. Admittedly, this is a rather simple example, compared to the complexity of many custom industrial processes. Still, it is thought provoking. It shows that process innovation is all around, if you keep your eyes peeled! My main learning has been the power of a process change to create a completely new and dramatically different product.

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YOUR CHALLENGE THIS WEEK

Please think about some of your research/early-stage efforts and the processes they currently use…

• Are there alternative processes that you can envision that are dramatically different than the current process? Are any of these ideas significantly simpler than the current process?

• What “evidence of processing” does your process leave on your product? Would you like to change this “process fingerprint” if you could? What advantages might be created in this way?

I’d enjoy hearing about your organization’s potential process alternatives! As always, please mail me and I’ll get back to you promptly.

All the Best, Marty

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