APPLICATION OF RESPONSE SURFACE ANALYSIS IN THE FORMULATION OF WHIPPED TOPPING

Computer analysis of a response surface experimental design was used to study the effect of three variables: fat (15, 18, and 21%), stabilizer (0.3, 0.5, and 0.7%), and corn syrup solids (7, 10, and 13%) on the overrun and firmness of whipped topping. Response surface plots were generated by the computer for overrun and firmness of the whipped topping as a function of fat versus stabilizer at selected contents of corn syrup solids. The response models for overrun and firmness acounted for about 62% and 82% of the variation in the observed overrun and firmness values, respectively. The models also indicate that each ingredient mainly reacted independently in contributing to overrun and firmness of the topping. Response surface plots show that there were many combinations of fat, stabilizer and corn syrup solids that would produce a similar response of overrun and firmness of the whipped topping. A combination of variables can be selected by this procedure to produce an optimum whipped topping mixture on the basis of cost, availability, and convenience.