In-mouth texture largely determines the acceptability of ice cream, making it a key quality factor. Its perception involves movements of the tongue and other oral structures while the product melts and becomes a smooth, creamy viscous liquid as its temperature increases. Time is therefore an important issue in the sensory perception of ice cream, but has barely been considered in ice cream evaluation. In the present work, six ice cream samples with very different textures, formulated with milk, cream, egg, and hydrocolloids, were analysed by the Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) method. Iciness, coldness, creaminess, roughness, gumminess, and mouth coating were assessed. Hydrocolloids (and cream or egg to a lesser extent) modulated the temporal perception of ice cream attributes, reducing the first impact of sensations such as iciness and coldness. They also favoured an early perception of creaminess. Dynamic perception techniques combined with consumer sensory description by CATA (Check-all-that-apply) and liking scoring techniques gave a better understanding of which attributes drive consumer liking in relation to ice cream consumption.

This work has received support from the Spanish Ministry of the Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through Project AGL2012-36753-C02-01. Paula Varela is grateful for a MINECO Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral contract. Mary Georgina Hardinge assisted with the translation and corrected the English text.