To begin, select transparent cups with fixed volume and shape, each equipped with a lid. Cut two strips of baking paper, each about two-centimeters wide. Using paper tape, attach these strips inside the cup walls, forming a cross at the bottom.
Fill the cup with ice cream using a spatula. Once full, smooth the surface of the ice cream with the spatula, and seal the cup with its lid. Store the prepared sample at 30 degrees Celsius for at least 24 hours.
Then condition the sample at 16 degrees Celsius for 24 hours before analysis. For the melting trial, set a thermostatic cabinet to approximately 20 degrees Celsius. Place a digital scale inside the cabinet.
Connect the scale to a computer with software to record weight as a function of time. Next, position a graduated cylinder on the scale and reset the weight. Place a hanging funnel over the cylinder to collect melted ice cream.
Set up a camera on a tripod in front of the cabinet, ensuring the best framing for sample images. Then prepare a metal wire mesh screen with a size reference. Remove the ice cream cup from the freezer and detach the ice cream from the cup walls Using a spatula, keeping the baking paper attached gently place it on the wire mesh screen, then remove the baking paper strips.
Position the screen with the ice cream on the funnel inside the cabinet. Capture the initial image with the open cabinet door, including the size reference. Record data for 90 minutes, and take pictures of the ice cream every 15 minutes.
Using this protocol, melting trials were performed for the three ice cream samples with different sweeteners, such as sucrose, sucromalt, and erythritol. While all samples showed good shape retention after 90 minutes, the lowest melting rate was observed for the ice cream made with erythritol.
