The ice cream was developed by TalTech master students and brought to production together with Balbiino’s specialists. The launch also marks the start of TalTech’s admissions period. Admission is open until 6 July.

From the laboratory to the store

Three TalTech master’s students — Susanna Helena Toom, Anette Russ and Iris-Gertrud Jussila — turned the idea for the ice cream into a real product: developing the recipe, testing flavours and helping guide it into production. They were supervised by Kristel Vene from Division of Food and biotechnology.

The result is a fermented yoghurt ice cream containing probiotic cultures and added fibre. The concept also aligns closely with TalTech researchers’ broader work on food reformulation — improving everyday foods to make them healthier while maintaining taste.

“Our goal was to create a pink TalTech ice cream that would offer more than just a pleasant flavour — something with clear added value,” says master’s student Anette Russ. “It is meant for the TalTech community as well as for all ice-cream lovers who appreciate quality and a subtle scientific twist in every bite.”

Development began with a classic cream-based ice cream, but the team soon switched to yoghurt, as fermentation is one of the strengths of TalTech’s Division of Food and biotechnology. Flavours were tested both in the laboratory and during Researchers’ Night, where hundreds of visitors helped select their favourite.

“We were impressed by how thoroughly the students developed the recipe. This was not a simple class assignment but a professional product development process,” says Reet Nurm, Brand Manager at Balbiino.

The original idea came from Liisu Kirke Normak from TalTech’s Marketing and Communications Office.

One ice cream, an entire university

Although ice cream may seem simple, its development brings together far more disciplines than might first appear.

The recipe combines expertise from:

• food technology and biotechnology
• chemistry
• engineering
• energy technology
• economics and marketing

In that sense, the ice cream is an edible example of how different fields come together at TalTech.

Admissions now open

The presentation of the ice cream coincides with the start of TalTech’s admissions period. Applications can be submitted until 6 July.

“Real Ice Cream” will be available in selected stores starting 17 March.

More information
The story behind the ice cream can be found on the university website: taltech.ee/en/ice-cream