Wenzhou Suote - Professional Pharmaceutical, Chemical And beverage Processing Equipment Manufacturer Since 1998.

Complete Production Process for Popsicles/Ice Cream Bars

2026-03-14

Ingredients & Pre-treatment

1.Dissolving and Mixing

Add a measured amount of warm water (usually 40-50'C) into the mixing tank.
Follow the principle of solids first,liquids later;minor ingredients first,major ingredients later.The typical sequence is:first dissolve sugar,milk powder,ect.Premix stabilizers and emulsifiers with part of the sugar,then add slowly while stirring at high speed to prevent agglomeration.Finally add liquid cream,flavorings,etc.
Mix evenly to form a homogeneous slurry with no visible particles.

2.Pasteurization and Homogenization

Heat the mixture for pasteurization.Typical process:85'c+-2'C,holding for 15-30 seconds to kill pathogenic bacteria and reduce the total microbial count.
Immediately pump the sterilized mixture into a homogenizer.Homogenization is usually performed in two stages(e.g.,15-20 Mpa for the first stage,3-5 Mpa for the second stage) to break down fat globules,refine texture,prevent fat separation,and improve stability.

3.Cooling and Aging (Maturing)

Rapidly cool the homogenized mixture to 0-4'C via a heat exchanger.
Pump into an aging tank and stir slowly at this temperature for 2-24h.This process allows fat crystallization,full hydration of proteins and stabilizers,increased viscosity,and improved overrun,meltdown resustance and mouthfeel.

Freezing,Forming and Hardening

1.Freezing (Overrun)

Feed the aged mixture into a continuous freezer.Air is incorporated under low temperature and high shear to form a semi-solid ice cream structure.

2.Molding,Stick Inserting,Freezing and Demolding (for Popsicles/Ice Cream Bars)

Molding:Fill the frozen mixture into sanitized molds.
Stick inserting:Automatic stick inserter places sticks into the center of each product.
Primary freezing:Molds enter a -20 to -25'C freezing tank or quick-freezing tunnel until the product core is fully frozen and set.
Demolding:Immerse molds in room-temperature water for several seconds to slightly melt the surface for easy release.

Packaging and Warehousing

1.Inspection and Packaging

Metal detection:Reject products containing metal foreign bodies.
Weight sorting:Reject products that do not meet net weight requirements.
Automatic packaging:Primary bagging and outer cartoning,with automatic printing of production date and batch number.

2.Boxing and Warehousing

Pack,seal and label cases manually or by robotic arm.
Palletize and transfer promptly to finished goods cold storage at -18'C or bellow
Maintain constant storage temperature;store by batch and category following the First-In-First-Out(FIFO) principle.

Post-Production Procedures

1.Equipment Cleaning and Sanitization

Clean mixing tanks,pipelines,homogenizer,freezer,filler,molds,etc.,via CIPor on-site cleaning:alkaline wash->acid wash->fresh water rinse to ensure no residue.odor or microbial risk.
Disassembled parts such as molds,stick inserters and conveyor rails are cleaned separately,drained,sanitized and stored foe reuse.

2.Site Cleaning

Clean floors,worktables and drains;remove waste,packaging debris and ice residues.
Arrange tools and containers in designated areas to keep the production area tidy.

3.Materials and Records

Seal,return to cold storage or dispose of leftover raw and auxiliary materials as required,with proper labeling.
Complete production records:batch,output,process parameters,pasteurization records,homogenization pressure,aging time, abnormalities,etc.

4.Equipment Inspection and Shutdown

Close water,electricity,air and refrigerant valves;check for leaks,abnormal noise or wear.
Shut down and power off according to procedures;complete equipment maintenance and shift handover records.

5.Environment and Safety

Turn on workshop UV lamps or conduct environmental sanitization as required.
Confirm fire-fighting and emergency equipment are in good condition;complete safety inspection before leaving the post.