ABSTRACT

Ice cream, a beloved frozen delicacy enjoyed by millions worldwide, faces the challenge of spoilage, which not only affects its sensory qualities but also poses potential health risks to consumers. The project aim was to assess the physiochemical and microbiological characteristic of homemade ice cream. Ice cream sample were aseptically prepared using whole milk and vanilla extract .determination of the pH, titratable acidity, moisture content and dry matter of ice cream, were carried out for microbiological analysis and were serially diluted before plating on appropriate agar plates allowing the estimation of microbial load. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine the mean and standard deviation using appropriate software. The highest and lowest pH values of the samples in room and freezing temperature condition were 7.67 ±0.02 to 5.18 ±0.2 and 7.66± 0.03 to 4.91±0.02 respectively. Ice cream samples stored in room and freezing temperature condition increased from 8.07 ±0.02 to 54.02 ±0.04 and 8.04 ±0.02 to 18.02±0.03. The moisture content values of the ice cream samples stored at room, refrigeration and freezer temperature condition decreased from 76.5 ±0.02 to 66.5, 77.5 ±0.02 to 69.5 ±0.03 and 76.5 ±0.02 to 67.5±0.03 respectively. The highest bacterial count of ice cream samples stored in room and freezing temperature condition was 8±I.52x10² and 7±1.4 x10² cfu/ml respectively. The highest fungal count of ice cream samples stored in room and freezing temperature condition was of 3.0±4.5x10³ and 6.4× 10³ cfu/ml respectively. Microorganisms isolated on nutrient agar include Staphylococcus sp, Bacillus sp and Proteus, that of fungi isolated on PDA include Aspergillus sp, Penicillium sp, Mucor and Yeast. In conclusion, the study of homemade ice cream has provided valuable insight into its physiochemical and microbiological properties.