Defects, Scoring and Grading

Abstract

Quality and price are two major factors in determining not only the volume of current business but also the future of the entire ice cream industry. Since quality is so vital in establishing price, it is necessary to understand the causes and remedies of defects in quality. Defects result from faults in flavor, body and texture, melting characteristics, color and package, bacterial content, or composition. The common defects in ice cream cause diminished consumer good will, sales, and income to the manufacturer. In their efforts to improve quality, manufacturers assume an ideal of perfection for each of these characteristics. This ideal standard is embodied in a score card, which is used to measure the degree of perfection by deducting from a perfect score for the various defects of the ice cream. This score card, which is discussed later, assigns points as follows: flavor, 45 points; body and texture, 30 points; bacteria, 15 points; color and package, 5 points; melting quality, 5 points.