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Ice Cream Cakes in Supermarket Freezer Merchandisers

In supermarket freezer merchandisers, ice cream cakes are vulnerable to the effects of UV and visible spectrum radiation from commercial display lighting.

Low UV and balanced spectrum Promolux fluorescent lighting minimizes these effects, preventing off flavors and ice crystals from developing on ice cream cakes.

Ice Crystal Formation on Ice Cream Cakes in Commercial Freezers

UV radiation easily penetrates cold atmospheres and creates heat at the surface of frozen packages. Heat and radiation from regular supermarket fluorescent lighting can cause the top surface of ice cream cakes to melt, separating the water in the ice cream from the other ingredients, especially when the ice cream cakes are stored in cardboard boxes with transparent tops. When this water refreezes, ice crystals form within the ice cream cake or on the inside surface of the box.

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Off Flavors of Ice Cream Cakes in Supermarket Freezers

Light and heat accelerate the rate of lipid oxidation, a chemical reaction between oxygen and an unsaturated fatty acid that affects the smell, taste, and appearance of any food containing milkfat. The higher the fat content, the more vulnerable the diary product is to the off-flavor effects of lipid oxidation. Nutritionally, lipid oxidation destroys riboflavin, pyridoxine, and vitamins A, D, B12, and C, while the free radicals that are released during oxidation are thought to cause cancer.

Oxidized ice cream cakes taste rancid, stale, metallic, or cardboardy. Dairy products are also susceptible to another chemical reaction triggered by light that causes whey proteins to degenerate and produces a burnt feathers or burnt hair flavor. These chemical reactions can occur after just four minutes of exposure to direct sunlight, or four hours of exposure to fluorescent lighting. Because Promolux Safe Spectrum lamps emit much lower levels of radiation than regular display case light bulbs, they are less likely to precipitate lipid oxidation.

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Fading of Grocery Store Ice Cream Cakes

UV and visible spectrum radiation from the sun and from most artificial lighting sources triggers photochemical reactions that cause the bright colors of food dyes to fade, and ice cream can also become discolored when exposed to light. If the ice cream cake is decorated, the wrong lighting can cause white decorations or icing to appear yellow, while red decorations will seem dull. When color fading is combined with the effect most supermarket fluorescent lights have of emphasizing yellow and green and thus distorting the true colors of the ice cream cake, retail display case lighting can actually create a less than ideal display. Promolux balanced color spectrum lamps, on the other hand, reveal the true colors of decorative icing, while emitting lower levels of the harmful radiation that causes colors to fade.

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Promolux True Color Definition Lamps

Compared to other fluorescent lighting, Promolux Safe Spectrum lamps emit 86% lower UV B radiation, a shorter wavelength that penetrates and causes heating, and 52% lower UV A radiation, a longer wavelength that tends to affect surfaces. Because Promolux lamps are designed for true color definition, they have a more balanced visible spectrum than other fluorescent lamps. The yellow and green wavelengths that are predominant in regular fluorescent lighting are the most damaging wavelengths in the visible spectrum.

Promolux lamps emit a more balanced range of wavelengths, including more of the red and blue wavelengths and more moderate levels of the yellow and green wavelengths. It is impossible to create a natural light that does not have any yellow or green wavelengths, so light sources will always be damaging to some extent. However, since Promolux Safe Spectrum lamps minimize the emission of damaging visible spectrum and UV wavelengths, using Promolux lamps will prolong bakery shelf life by up to 50% and reduce shrinkage by 30% to 50% compared to the shrinkage caused by standard lights. These savings will vary depending upon the duration of light exposure, the type of packaging used, and the composition of the bakery product.

Choice of Lamp Color Temperature

Promolux lamps are available in two spectrum ranges: Promolux Safe Spectrum Gold lamps emit a warm tone perfect for giving breads, muffins, and donuts a just-baked appearance; while Promolux Safe Spectrum Platinum lamps emit a cooler tone which is ideal for accenting white colors.