The key to producing a favorable ice cream lies within texture and ice crystal size," says Janae Kuc, senior research and development scientist at Gum Technology Corp. (www.gumtech.com), Tucson, Ariz. "Consumers do not want to dig their spoons into a block of ice. A good ice cream will have a decent amount of overrun [incorporated air], small ice crystal structure and a creamy smooth texture. Gums are a major player in achieving these attributes and maintaining them over time.