Physicochemical and Microbiological Studies of Various Brands of Vanilla Ice Cream Manufactured in Bangladesh

Ice cream enjoys widespread popularity in Bangladesh, particularly during the hot summer months. Despite its reputation for high fat and sugar content, ice cream also boasts essential nutrients like calcium, protein, and vitamins. The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has established standards to ensure the quality of ice cream manufactured by various industries operating under different brand names.This study aims to scrutinize four prominent vanilla ice cream brands in Bangladesh, assessing their quality variations and adherence to BSTI standards. The quality of ice cream relies on its physical, chemical, and sensory attributes, influenced by factors such as ingredient types, processing conditions, and storage. The study utilized comprehensive physicochemical analysis, encompassing total solids, fat, solid non-fat, protein, lactose, acidity, pH, and viscosity, coupled with microbial analysis for safety. The findings uncovered notable variations in both physicochemical (especially total solid, fat, protein and lactose content) and microbial characteristics among the four ice cream brands, despite all selected brands complying with the standards set by BSTI.