Which texture defect is described as a 'sandiness' in dairy products?

• A. Oily yellowish in milk
• B. Gummy texture in ice cream
• C. Gelation
• D. Hard particles in ice cream

Answer: (D)

Sandiness describes a gritty, granular mouthfeel caused by hard particles in the product. In ice cream, this shows up as detectable grit when you bite or chew, due to undissolved solids or ice crystals that are too large or not well integrated into the smooth matrix. That’s why the best match is hard particles in ice cream. The other options point to different defects—color/appearance (oily yellowish in milk), a gummy, chewy texture (gummy texture in ice cream), or a gel-like structure (gelation)—which are not about a gritty sensation. Preventing sandiness involves controlling ice crystal growth and particle distribution during processing and storage, such as using stabilizers, proper freezing rates, and thorough mixing.