Ice Cream Overrun
The air whipped into frozen dessert, measured by weight.
Example
You enter
- Mix weight (lb per gallon) 9
- Finished weight (lb per gallon) 4.5
You get
- Overrun 100.0%
- Air fraction of volume 50.0%
Checked against published worked examples from: University of Guelph (H. D. Goff).
Details, formula, and sources
ScopeOverrun% = (mix weight - finished weight) / finished weight x 100 for equal volumes. A gallon of mix at 9.0 lb frozen to 4.5 lb/gal is 100% overrun (half the finished volume is air). Reports the air fraction, the overrun band (gelato/premium low, economy/soft-serve near 100%), and whether the finished density meets the FDA 4.5 lb/gal minimum to be labeled ice cream (21 CFR 135.110).
Formula or tableoverrun% = (mix_weight - finished_weight) / finished_weight x 100 for equal volumes; air% = (mix_weight - finished_weight) / mix_weight x 100.
Source and editionGoff & Hartel, Ice Cream, 7th ed.; FDA 21 CFR 135.110 standard of identity, by name.
Free access21 CFR 135.110 is public/free at ecfr.gov; the food-science overrun definition is standard.
What governsEstimate. AHJ and licensed professional govern.
API field namesmix_weight_lb, finished_weight_lb, overrun_pct, air_pct
- FDA minimum density finished ice cream >= 4.5 lb/gal and >= 1.6 lb total solids/gal21 CFR 135.110