Not all ice cream is created equal. The Helix spiral freezer at Mackie’s of Scotland is designed for precision freezing — offering faster freeze times that produce smaller, rounder ice crystals, resulting in a creamier texture.
Independent analysis, including testing at 200x magnification, shows the difference:
Faster freezing → smaller ice crystals → creamier ice cream.
Read more about the study below:
Mackie’s Quality Test Examines Starfrost Spiral Freezer
Scientists studied Scotland’s top-selling ice cream brand to understand the impact of its Starfrost Helix spiral freezer system on ice cream smoothness.
By measuring the ice crystal size under 200x magnification, Mackie’s of Scotland gained valuable insight into how ice crystals have decreased in size since switching to the Starfrost spiral freezer.
The Helix spiral freezer freezes faster, resulting in smaller and rounder ice crystals. Dr. Kerr Matthews, Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Robert Gordon University (RGU), has verified these results, noting that they contribute to a smoother, creamier texture.
He further explained that Ostwald ripening – the growth of ice crystals during production or storage – is significantly reduced with the new spiral freezer system. This means the ice cream is less likely to become icy (due to more ice crystals forming) while stored in freezers or during distribution.
Dr. Matthews said: “We found the ice crystals in ice cream from the new freezer to be smaller and rounder due to faster, more efficient freezing. The less angular, more spherical ice crystals result in a smoother texture and creamier taste.”
Kirstin McNutt, Development Director at Mackie’s of Scotland, said: “Our ice cream has always been praised for its smoothness due to real dairy ingredients. We’re thrilled to find that the new freezer enhances this even further, improving taste and texture for our consumers! It’s a win-win with our investment in a more efficient and environmentally friendly refrigeration solution, which also increases capacity and quality.”
You can read more about the Spiral freezer installation here: Starfrost spiral freezer installed for Mackie’s of Scotland