Harford students help create winning flavor at Ice Cream University

A new ice cream flavor – Campfire Delight – will be available locally next month.

The flavor was created by a team of students, most of them from Harford County, participating in this year's Ice Cream University, hosted by TIC Gums at the firm's Texture Innovation Center in White Marsh.

Seventeen local high school students with interest in science, culinary arts and marketing participated in this year's program, which is based on Cornell University's Food Science 101 course, required for incoming freshman of the College of Food Science. TIC Gums sponsored each student's $500 program fee and provided home ice cream makers upon program completion.

The winning Campfire Delight flavor was the creation of Sarah Ermatinger, of Bel Air High School; Shayla Graves, of Bel Air High School; Rebecca Jones, of Bel Air High School; Monica Richmond, of Eastern Technical High School; and Kevin Vickery, of Havre de Grace High School.

"Our ice cream is a modern interpretation of a s'more. Since it is a classic treat, we think this is a good flavor for any demographic," a team representative said.

Campfire Delight will be produced and sold in early May at Broom's Bloom Dairy in Creswell.

Tim Andon, business development manager at TIC Gums and Cornell alumnus, led the six-week course.

"This is a great opportunity to expose students to the field of food science and possible career paths within the industry. Students not only create the ice cream but they work together to develop a winning marketing campaign," Andon said.

The first weeks of study focused on scientific principles such as emulsions, overrun calculation, ice crystal formation and statistical know-how for tracking and maintaining quality. The attention then turned to flavor selection and inclusions like nuts, chocolate or fruit, before finalizing the product packaging and marketing.

"This program is an excellent preview of team collaboration and group work at the college level since it is modeled after the 101 course," Dr. Alicia Orta-Ramirez said. "Awareness of food science is increasing as students are more cognizant of health issues, allergies and intolerances. In fact, we have a student who participated in last year's Ice Cream University as a 2015 incoming freshman at Cornell."

Students' ice cream and marketing presentations were judged Saturday, April 5 by a tasting panel including Steve Andon, board member and former president of TIC Gums; Dr. Alicia Orta-Ramirez, director of undergraduate studies of food science at Cornell University; Robert Limpert, supervisor of business, technology and magnet programs of Harford County; Mary Beth Stapleton, coordinator of grants, business and community partnerships of Harford County; Kate Dallam, owner of Broom's Bloom Dairy; Janey Wolff, general manager and ice cream maker at Broom's Bloom Dairy; and Jamie Haven, ice cream lover and representative of the adolescent demographic selected for by TIC Gums.