UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- When it comes to ice cream, the latest trend is balancing healthful ingredients with the need for a little decadence. Industry representatives will learn more about this and other scientific advances at Penn State's 2005 Ice Cream Short Course, Jan. 9-15 at the Nittany Lion Inn on the University Park campus.

"The current advances in ice cream and frozen desserts are in areas related to health," says Bob Roberts, course director and associate professor of food science. He cites probiotics -- healthy bacteria that aid digestion -- as well as ice creams with greatly reduced carbohydrates and fats as some of the most promising research being done.

"Another area is introducing omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids into ice creams and yogurts," he says. "They aid in immune response, blood clotting and a host of other healthy factors in humans." Penn State researchers and others are in the early stages of successfully creating ice creams that incorporate these acids -- found in high concentrations in fish oil -- and that still taste good to consumers in preliminary tests.

But Americans don't seem to be thrilled with ice cream that's too healthy, Roberts explains. "The market went through its low-fat and no-fat craze -- the products don't do well," he says. "The demand for high-fat ice cream is strong. People seem to decide that when they're having ice cream, they want to have their ice cream."

The 113th year of Penn State's Ice Cream Short Course is the industry's opportunity to sort out such issues. As the oldest, best-known and largest educational program dealing with the science and technology of frozen confections, the course's student roster reads like a "Who's Who" of ice cream.

"This course is to instruct professionals in the fundamental trends and nuances of commercial ice cream manufacture in a large, industrial kind of way," Roberts explains. "It is intended for personnel involved in production and quality control, research and development, and general management. We cover everything from the cow to the cone."

This year's course will cover ingredients and manufacturing processes, flavor selection and mixing, freezing/hardening and storage. Sessions will focus on microbiology and quality aspects, cleaning and sanitation, and nutrition and additives. Lab demonstrations will address sensory evaluation of ice cream and computer-assisted formulation.

For people looking to indulge their love of ice cream with a less-intense approach, Penn State again will offer "Ice Cream 101: Introduction to Frozen Desserts," a two-day seminar on Jan. 22-23 that covers beginning ice cream making. That will be followed by "Business Management 101 for Ice Cream Retailers," which presents the food-service and business aspects of parlors and ice cream franchises, Jan. 23-25 at University Park.

Registration for the Ice Cream Short Course is limited and will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, either online or by mail. For more information, contact the Office of Conferences and Short Courses by phone at 814-865-8301 or toll-free at (877) 778-2937 or by e-mail at http://conferences.cas.psu.edu.

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EDITORS: For more information on course content, contact Bob Roberts at 814-863-2959 or by e-mail at rfr3@psu.edu.

Writer/Editor: Gary Abdullah Office 814-863-2708 FAX 814-863-9877