Product Development
MOW
The goal to create an ice cream product that can be enjoyed every dayPursuing delicious, mellow flavor through the lens of science
Aspiring to create delicious ice cream made possible by basic research
Morinaga Milk has been engaged in basic research on ice cream for many years. Even one of our research team members is the first person in Japan to obtain a doctorate degree in ice cream. The MOW development project started with the idea of taking the fullest advantage of our basic scientific knowledge of ice cream to create a product that can only be made with the expertise of a dairy manufacturer. At that time, custard flavoring was the basic flavoring agent in vanilla ice cream. With that in mind, we wanted to create change by bring forward the flavor of milk in the ice cream giving the consumer the feeling of eating a product directly from the dairy farm.
At the start of the project, our threefold goal was to create:
…rich milk flavor
…rich, full-bodied mouthfeel
…smooth texture and clear, clean aftertaste
Achieving unpresented smooth texture by changing the structure of ice cream
Not only flavor but also texture is an important factor in drawing out the deliciousness of ice cream.
Texture is determined by the ice cream's composition which has a critical impact on flavor. Through basic research, we have arrived at a manufacturing method that makes the ice cream structure denser and finer by altering the freezing temperature. By doing so we could alter the amount of fine ice crystals which are the key to creating the desired texture and flavor.
The dense composition and fine texture also have the effect of smoothing the overall texture of the ice cream allowing it slip easily off the spoon. Wateriness was eliminated so the ice cream melts more uniformly and has a rich flavor. In addition, the fact that the ice crystals are not angular also contributes to the smoothness of the texture.
Example of ice cream structure
Evolving scientific evidence from basic research providing the ice cream for everyday consumption
Basic research continues to have an important impact on the development of ice cream products. From 2008 to 2010, research papers, including the Modeling of the Effect of Freezing Condition on the Main Ingredients of Ice Cream and Effect of Freezing Condition on Melting Property of Ice Cream, were being reported.*1.
From 2014 to 2015, Morinaga Milk used a method called TDS (Temporal Dominance of Sensations) to continuously record the dominant flavors and textures that change during the eating process. We succeeded in capturing the complex flavor changes over time as ice cream melts in the mouth. By utilizing the results of this research in the development of MOW, a major revision of product formula was made in our search for the ideal balance of milk, vanilla and eggs. The reborn MOW retained its original charm, but it was manufactured by a method that allows the consumer to enjoy the richness of milk and the true taste of the ingredients without using emulsifiers and stabilizers.
MOW is among the first ice cream products to address environmental issues. The packaging materials for MOW are environmentally friendly FSC®-certified paper*2. In terms of both deliciousness and consideration for the natural environment, we continue our effort to make MOW an ice cream that can be eaten every day and is loved by our customers.
*1 Control of quality of ice cream with freezing process
*2 FSC® certification is an international certification system that promotes responsible management the world’s forests.
The certification attests to the fact that certain forested areas have been examined and certified by a third-party certification body to be in compliance with FSC (Forest Stewardship Council®) standards with regard to the use of forest resources, recycled resources, and other controlled raw materials produced under appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically sustainable forest management from the perspective of environmental conservation.
Product photo (as of April 2023)