Kansas City, Mo. ? University of Missouri food scientists are working to build a healthier ice cream — not by reducing fat and sugar, but by adding antioxidants and other beneficial ingredients.

Researchers at the university’s Columbia campus are in the final stages of taste-testing what they call “multi-functional ice cream,” The Kansas City Star reported.

Food chemist Ingolf Gruen and his research team are tinkering with four healthy ingredients: antioxidants, dietary fiber, probiotics and prebiotics.

Gruen’s group hope to offer their fruit-flavored desserts at Buck’s Ice Cream Place, a campus shop connected to the food science labs, as soon as this summer.

Gruen realizes that perfecting the healthy concoction’s flavors is vital. “Food is all about taste,” he said. “If something doesn’t taste good, people don’t come back. We do a lot of sensory studies in our department.”

Doctoral student Ting-ning Lin is leading the taste tests. She cautioned that even with a healthy ice cream, moderation remains key. “Ice cream is high-fat compared with other products, so moderate eating is still very important,” Lin said.