**4. Conclusions**

In the present study, we applied in situ and *operando* time-resolved synchrotron tomography in a bespoke cold stage to quantify the fast evolution of the different microstructural phases in ice cream during processing, including ice crystals and the unfrozen matrix. To capture the long-term microstructural evolution during storage, we used an ex situ sCT methodology.

The in situ experimental results in this study reveal that the coarsening of ice crystals was due to both Ostwald ripening and physical agglomeration during heating and cooling. This change in the ice crystals size and morphology strongly influences our sensory perception of ice cream's taste. During the subsequent storage, we demonstrate that fluctuations in storage temperature can cause a partial-melting and recrystallization process, increasing the rate of coarsening. These processes were quantified, providing valuable data to both inform and validate models of the behavior of soft-solids.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, P.D.L., E.G., P.S., G.V.D., J.B.; Methodology, E.G., J.M., P.R., D.S.E., P.D.L., P.S., J.B.; Formal Analysis, J.M., E.G.; Writing—Original Draft Preparation, J.M., E.G., P.D.L., D.G.M.; Writing—Review & Editing, All.

**Funding:** This work was financially supported by Unilever R&D (Colworth, UK) and by the EPSRC-UK (EP/I02249X/1, EP/J010456/1 and EP/M009688/1).

**Acknowledgments:** The authors acknowledge the use of the facility access in Diamond Light Source (MT12194, MT12195, MT12616 and MT17609) and Research Complex at Harwell. The authors also thank I13 staff of Diamond Light Source (especially Cipiccia) and group members for technical support.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.
