PAC in ice cream: anti-freezing power and texture
PAC (anti-freezing power) decides whether your ice cream comes out rock hard or creamy at its serving temperature. What it is, how to calculate it, the range you need for each serving method and how to fix it.
Free for iPhone and iPad (iOS 15.1 or later), with no ads and no sign-up.
What is PAC in ice cream?
PAC (anti-freezing power) measures how much the sugars in the mix lower the freezing point of water. The higher the PAC, the softer the ice cream stays at the same temperature.
In a dairy ice cream, the fat and milk solids help the texture and soften part of the effect of PAC. Even so, it's the parameter that decides whether the ice cream scoops at its serving temperature or comes out like a rock.
PAC is measured in points per kilo of mix, with sucrose as 100. A difference of 20 points is roughly 1 °C (about 2 °F) of serving temperature.
Where an ice cream's PAC comes from
Sugars
Sucrose, dextrose, invert sugar, glucose syrups… each with its own coefficient.
Lactose from dairy
Milk, cream and milk powder. In the vanilla example below, almost a fifth of the PAC.
Polyols and glycerin
Sorbitol, glycerin or erythritol: a lot of PAC with little sweetness.
Alcohol
A liqueur or spirit moves PAC enormously, even in small amounts.
PAC too low, in range or too high
A PAC mistake shows up directly in the finished ice cream.
PAC too low
The ice cream is very hard at its serving temperature, difficult to scoop, with a grainier texture and ice crystals.
PAC in range
A creamy, stable texture that's easy to scoop, with fine crystals. In a display case, between 220 and 280 depending on the profile.
PAC too high
A soft ice cream that melts fast, loses its shape in the display case and doesn't hold up during service.
PAC by serving method
The colder an ice cream is served, the more anti-freezing power it needs. These are the reference ranges Ice Cream Mix uses:
| Serving method | Ice cream PAC | Served at |
|---|---|---|
| From a freezer | 250–420 | 0 to −4 °F−18 to −20 °C |
| From a display case | 220–280 | 12 to 7 °F−11 to −14 °C |
| With Pacojet | 160–280 | 18 to 9 °F−8 to −13 °C |
| With Ninja Creami | 160–240 | 18 to 12 °F−8 to −11 °C |
| Soft serve | 190–230 | 21 to 18 °F−6 to −8 °C |
In a display case the range is fine-tuned by profile: Rich 240–280, Classic 230–270 and Light 220–260. More in serving temperature.
PAC ranges by type of ice cream
Fat, milk solids and fruit change the starting point. These are display-case ranges, except for the freezer one:
| Type of ice cream | Reference PAC | Served at | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custard / fior di latte | 230–270 | 12 to 9 °F−11 to −13 °C | Milk solids help the texture. |
| Fruit with milk | 230–270 | 10 to 7 °F−12 to −14 °C | Count the fruit's sugars in the calculation. |
| Chocolate | 240–280 | 12 to 9 °F−11 to −13 °C | Cocoa adds solids but little PAC. |
| Yogurt | 220–260 | 10 to 7 °F−12 to −14 °C | Acidity changes how sweet it tastes. |
| Vegan (plant-based) | 230–280 | 10 to 5 °F−12 to −15 °C | No lactose: watch the PAC and the stabilizer more closely. |
| Dairy-free fruit | 300–360 | 9 to 3 °F−13 to −16 °C | Close to a sorbet: PAC becomes more critical. |
| Freezer ice cream | 250–420 | 0 to −4 °F−18 to −20 °C | More anti-freezing power so it scoops without tempering. |
How to calculate PAC: a real example
A vanilla ice cream from the Ice Cream Master, Classic profile, served from a display case. Each ingredient adds grams × coefficient / 100:
| Ingredient | Amount | PAC coef. | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla bean paste | 6 g | 100 | 6.0 |
| Cream (35% fat) | 228 g | 3 | 6.8 |
| Skim milk powder | 27 g | 51 | 13.8 |
| Sugar (sucrose) | 110 g | 100 | 110.0 |
| Dextrose | 40 g | 172 | 68.8 |
| Glucose powder (DE 40) | 20 g | 72 | 14.4 |
| Ice cream stabilizer blend | 5 g | 74 | 3.7 |
| Whole milk | 564 g | 4.8 | 27.1 |
| Total (1 kg) | 1,000 g | 250.6 |
The dairy ingredients (milk, cream and milk powder) add 47.7 points from their lactose alone: almost a fifth of the PAC. For the serving temperature, the app also adds the effect of the milk salts.
The PAC of the most used ingredients
Values per 100 g, with sucrose as 100. Knowing them lets you change the texture without changing the sweetness.
| Ingredient | PAC | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar (sucrose) | 100 | The reference. Raises PAC and sweetness equally. |
| Dextrose | 172 | Softens a lot and sweetens little (POD 74). Anhydrous glucose reaches 190. |
| Fructose | 188 | A lot of PAC and a lot of sweetness (POD 144). Use in moderation. |
| Invert sugar | 139 | Softens and sweetens a little less than sugar (POD 95). Holds moisture. |
| Lactose | 100 | Milk sugar. Whole milk contains about 4.8%. |
| Trehalose | 100 | The same PAC as sugar with less than half the sweetness (POD 45). |
| Sorbitol powder | 188 | A lot of PAC with little sweetness (POD 60). |
| Glycerin | 342 | Very anti-freezing: a few grams move PAC a lot. |
| Glucose powder (DE 20–40) | 37–72 | Little PAC: adds solids and body without softening. |
| Maltodextrin (DE 5–18) | 10–35 | Barely touches PAC. Solids with very little sweetness. |
| Alcohol (ethanol) | ≈740 | Extremely high: an 80-proof (40%) spirit adds about 295. |
How to raise or lower PAC without changing the sweetness
The trick is to swap one sugar for another instead of adding or removing regular sugar.
- To raise PAC (softer ice cream): replace part of the sugar with dextrose. It sweetens less and softens more.
- To lower PAC (firmer ice cream): use low-DE glucose powder or maltodextrin instead of part of the sugar.
- To lower the sweetness without touching PAC: trehalose instead of part of the sugar.
In the example: with 170 g of sugar alone, the vanilla stays at PAC 227 and POD 18.2%. With 110 g of sugar, 40 g of dextrose and 20 g of glucose, it rises to PAC 251 and the sweetness drops to 15.9%.
| Parameter | 170 g sugar | 110 + 40 + 20 g |
|---|---|---|
| PAC (230–270) | 227 | 251 |
| POD (15–17%) | 18.2% | 15.9% |
| Serving temperature | 12 °F (−11 °C) | 10 °F (−12 °C) |
Same dairy and vanilla. Figures from Ice Cream Mix.
PAC in ice cream and in sorbet: key differences
The parameter is the same, but its weight in the recipe changes with the fat.
Dairy ice cream
Fat, milk powder and milk proteins help the texture and soften the effect of PAC. There's a bit more margin, but a badly calculated PAC still gives hard, icy or overly soft ice cream. In a display case: 220–280.
Water and fruit sorbets
With no fat, PAC and water decide the texture almost on their own, and small changes show right away. In a display case they work with more PAC: 300–380.
Your ice cream's PAC, with every gram
Ice Cream Mix calculates PAC in real time and compares it with the right range.
- Includes the lactose in milk, cream and milk powder, and the sugars in fruit.
- The range changes with the type, the profile and the serving method: freezer, display case, Pacojet, Ninja Creami or soft serve.
- Estimates the serving temperature of every recipe, in °F or °C.
- If PAC drifts out of range, the Ice Cream Master suggests the exact adjustment in grams.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What is PAC in ice cream?
PAC (anti-freezing power) measures how much the sugars in the mix lower the freezing point, including the lactose from dairy. The higher the PAC, the softer the ice cream stays at the same temperature; with too little PAC, it comes out hard.
What is the ideal PAC for a creamy ice cream?
It depends on how you serve it. Ice Cream Mix works with a PAC of 220–280 in a display case (depending on the profile), 250–420 from a freezer, 160–280 with Pacojet, 160–240 with Ninja Creami and 190–230 for soft serve.
How do you calculate the PAC of an ice cream?
Each ingredient adds grams × PAC coefficient / 100, and you add them all up for 1 kg of mix. For example, 40 g of dextrose (coefficient 172) adds 68.8 points. Ice Cream Mix calculates it with every gram, including the lactose in the milk.
What's the difference between PAC in ice cream and in sorbet?
In ice cream, fat and milk solids help the texture and soften part of the effect of PAC. A sorbet doesn't have that support and works with more PAC: 300–380 in a display case, compared with 220–280 for an ice cream.
What happens if the PAC is too low?
The ice cream is too hard at its serving temperature: it's difficult to scoop, the texture is grainier and ice crystals appear. Increase the dextrose or invert sugar, or check that you chose the right serving method.
Does Ice Cream Mix calculate PAC automatically?
Yes. It calculates PAC in real time together with POD, solids, fat, MSNF and water, compares it with the range for your type, profile and serving method, and estimates the serving temperature.
Can I control PAC without changing the sweetness?
Yes. To raise PAC without adding sweetness, replace part of the sugar with dextrose. To lower it, use low-DE glucose or maltodextrin instead of part of the sugar. And with trehalose (PAC 100, POD 45) you lower the sweetness without touching PAC.
Does the lactose in milk affect PAC?
Yes. Lactose has a PAC of 100, like sucrose, and whole milk contains about 4.8%: 1 kg of milk adds about 48 points. In the vanilla example, the dairy ingredients add 47.7 of its 251 PAC points.
Control your ice cream's PAC with precision
Ice Cream Mix calculates PAC in real time together with POD, solids, fat and water, and tells you how to fix it. Free, with no ads and no sign-up.