Prof Cait MacPhee of the University of Edinburgh’s school of physics and astronomy, who led the project, said: “We’re excited by the potential this new ingredient has for improving ice-cream, for consumers and for manufacturers.”
The team developed a method of producing the new protein – which occurs naturally in some foods – in friendly bacteria and it works by sticking to fat droplets and air bubbles, making them more stable in a mixture.
It is believed that using the ingredient could benefit manufacturers as it can be processed without otherwise changing performance and can be produced from sustainable raw materials.