Ice Cream & Gelato

Specialty Lighting Solutions for Ice Cream and Gelato Displays

Ice cream and gelato display case

Light and heat accelerates the rate of lipid oxidation, a chemical reaction between oxygen and unsaturated fatty acids which affect the smell, taste and appearance of any food containing milk fats, such as ice cream.

Since ice cream tends to have a high fat content, it is particularly vulnerable to strong supermarket lighting and the off-flavor effects of lipid oxidation. Nutritionally, lipid oxidation destroys riboflavin, pyridoxine, and vitamins A, D, B12, and C. Oxidized ice cream taste rancid, stale, metallic, or even cardboard like. Since Promolux lighting minimizes the emission of damaging visible spectrum and UV wavelengths, they will minimize these flavor changes in ice cream.

Most artificial lighting sources trigger photochemical reactions that cause the bright colors of food dyes to fade. Because of this, ice cream and gelato will quickly discolor when exposed to strong light. In the case of ice cream cakes, the wrong lighting can cause white decorations or icing to appear yellow, while red decorations will seem dull or even fade to pink. Regular fluorescent lights tend to emphasize the yellow and green spectrum which does little to showcase the naturally vivid colors of icings and other decorations.

Heat and radiation from regular fluorescent lighting also causes the top surface of ice cream cakes to melt, separating the water in the ice cream from the other ingredients, especially when 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.

Promolux lighting emits a more balanced range of wavelengths, including more of the red and blue wavelengths and more moderate levels of the damaging yellow and green wavelengths than regular fluorescent lighting, reducing ice crystal formation and revealing the bright colors of each flavor and topping.

> Commercial Ice Cream Display Lighting in Freezer Merchandisers

> Merchandising Ice Cream Cake Showcases