Ice cream is a popular frozen food consumed worldwide throughout the year. However, as a thermally unstable product, it requires proper cold chain management. Thermal fluctuations alter the physicochemical properties of ice cream and reduce its quality. This study was conducted to evaluate the physicochemical and sensory properties of ice cream containing different amounts (0.5; 0.8; 1.0%) of a multimineral preparation from Atlantic red algae. The effect of thermal shock on the quality of ice cream after preparation and 90 days of frozen storage was studied. The addition of a multimineral component slightly increased the freezing and glass transition temperatures of the ice cream. The overrun of the ice cream ranged from 48.55 to 52.78% and decreased with the frozen storage time, but the samples with 0.8 and 1.0% mineral content had the most stable overrun in terms of storage time and thermal fluctuations. Ice cream stored for both 7 and 90 days showed a similar melting behavior, although a shift in the melting curves was observed after long frozen storage. The samples exposed to the thermal treatment had lower melting rates by 39.2–59.9% and 55.2–65.4% for 7-day and 90-day stored ice cream, respectively. The hardness parameters of the ice cream did not change significantly under the conditions applied, so the fragility of the ice cream and its fluffiness did not seem to be affected. The organoleptic evaluation showed that ice cream with a mineral content of 0.8% was the most acceptable in terms of taste, texture, and overall acceptability. The applied mineral and sucrose content ratios did not alter the main physicochemical and organoleptic parameters, but significantly affected the nutrient density of the ice cream.

The present research focuses on using plant waste from agricultural production chains (vegetable outgrades) as ingredient sources for innovative food strategy developments. The quality of multi-vegetable products made from frozen vegetable outgrades (broccoli, cauliflower, green and yellow cut beans) for serving in gastronomy was evaluated. Vegetable outgrades were found to be low-cost sources of nutritional components. The dietary fiber content varied from 2.35 (cauliflower Giewont cultivar) to 4.40 g/100 g (green bean Rimember cultivar). The protein content varied from 1.41 (green bean Opportune cultivar) to 2.58 g/100 g (broccoli Porthenon cultivar). Bioactive compounds, including polyphenols and vitamin C, varied significantly depending on the vegetable. The content of carotenoids (β-carotene and zeaxanthin) in vegetables, in particular broccoli (Larson cultivar) and green beans (Rimember and Opportune cultivars), was lower than in outgrades. Due to the high nutrient quality of outgrades, the preparation of mechanically-formed vegetable patties and paste proceeded. According to recommendations of NRF, NAS, NDS nutrient density indices, both patties and pastes were classified as products with rich nutritional value and full-valuable components of the human diet. Moreover, food production technology utilizing vegetable outgrades can be potential solutions for food loss and waste management in gastronomy and in the food production industry.

Frozen vegetables are increasingly valued for their nutritional stability and year-round availability. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of twenty commercially available frozen vegetable blends obtained from retail markets in Poland. Analyses included physicochemical parameters, instrumental measurements of texture, color (CIEL*a*b*), and evaluation of technological quality. The pH values ranged from 4.40 to 7.46, total acidity from 0.034 to 0.322 g/100 g, and dry matter content from 5.02 to 42.97%. The observed variability was mainly attributable to vegetable type and remained consistent with values reported for fresh produce, indicating that industrial freezing largely preserves chemical characteristics. Texture differed markedly between vegetable types, with hardness values ranging from 6 to nearly 100 N, while color parameters remained within typical ranges for blanched and frozen vegetables, suggesting effective pigment stability and enzyme inactivation. In contrast, substantial variability was observed in technological quality. Mechanical fragmentation exceeded acceptable limits in 30% of samples, and complete clumping of vegetable pieces (100%) was observed. Additional defects included frostbite and color deviations, and health-condition defects were observed. These results highlight considerable heterogeneity in frozen vegetable blends and emphasize the need for stricter control of raw materials, processing conditions, and cold-chain management to ensure consistent quality and consumer safety.

Ice cream is a popular frozen dessert eagerly consumed regardless of the season. The production and storage of ice cream is done under frozen conditions due to the thermal instability of this product. Thermal fluctuations disrupt the structure of the ice cream, causing melting, shrinkage and recrystallisation of the ice, which ultimately leads to deterioration of the product. The addition of substances with protective properties can improve the quality of ice cream during storage and its acceptability to the consumers. In this study, the effect of alpha-tocopheryl acetate on the physicochemical properties of ice cream and its quality attributes (melting rate, overrun, texture) was investigated. In addition, the ice cream was subjected to temperature fluctuations to assess changes in its quality parameters. Fortification of the ice cream mixes with ATA increase the glass transition temperatures, while the freezing temperatures were maintained at a similar level. The overrun of fresh ice cream samples ranged from 48.55±1.08% to 51.99±0.20% and decreased with the storage time. Ice cream subjected to heat shocks characterized with similar overrun values. A slight shift in the melting curves was observed in ice cream stored for 90 days, but the amount of drip-off material appeared to be similar (in the range 56.50±3.64% to 77.32±0.52%) in all the samples tested. The thermal treatment caused significant changes in the melting process - less intense melting and a lower melting rate were observed. ATA addition reduced the hardness of the ice cream, which could be positively perceived by the consumers.