PAC and POD calculator
Enter the grams of each sugar and the weight of the whole mix. PAC and POD are worked out immediately, along with whether you sit inside the range for milk-based gelato or for sorbet.
| Sugar | PAC / POD | Grams in the mix |
|---|---|---|
| Sucrose (table sugar) | 1.00 / 1.00 | |
| Dextrose | 1.90 / 0.70 | |
| Fructose | 1.90 / 1.70 | |
| Invert sugar | 1.90 / 1.25 | |
| Glucose syrup DE60 | 1.20 / 0.50 | |
| Lactose (from milk) | 1.00 / 0.16 |
Lactose comes in with the milk — roughly 4.8 g per 100 g of milk. On a dairy recipe, add it here or PAC will read too low.
PAC and POD are the two numbers that describe what sugars do to a mix: PAC lowers the freezing point and drives how hard the scoop sets, POD carries the sweetness you actually taste. Both come from the same grams but different coefficients — which is why you can move one while barely touching the other.
How this calculator works
Every sugar carries a PAC and a POD coefficient relative to sucrose, which is one. We multiply grams by coefficients, add them up, divide by the weight of the whole mix and express the result per 100 g. It is the same formula Scooply runs — the calculator shows one slice, the app computes it alongside solids, fat and cost.
The coefficients come straight from the product: sucrose 1.0/1.0, dextrose 1.9/0.7, fructose 1.9/1.7, invert sugar 1.9/1.25, glucose syrup DE60 1.2/0.5, lactose 1.0/0.16.
Why swap sugars at all
Because sugar isn’t just sugar. Replacing part of the sucrose with dextrose almost doubles PAC per gram while adding less sweetness — the mix gets softer without getting sweeter. Glucose syrup DE60 works the other way: a gentle lift in PAC and a clear drop in sweetness, which is how you buy structure without a sugar hit.
Fructose is the trap: high PAC and the highest POD on the list, so it oversweetens long before it delivers the softness you were aiming for.
Why sorbet sits in a different range
A sorbet has no fat and no milk solids, which in a dairy mix already hinder freezing on their own. The sugars have to do all the work, so the PAC range sits noticeably higher: 33–37 against 26–32 for milk-based gelato. The POD gap is smaller but real: 16–22 against 14–19.
Frequently asked questions
Will this match what Scooply shows?
Yes, for the same grams — the formula and coefficients are identical. The difference is that the app pulls sugars straight from the recipe, lactose from the dairy included, and computes solids, fat, cost and allergens along the way.
How do I account for lactose if I use milk?
Milk carries roughly 4.8 g of lactose per 100 g, cream proportionally less. For 500 g of milk, enter about 24 g of lactose. It’s an approximation — inside the app it comes from the actual composition.
Does a PAC in range mean the gelato will be good?
It only means the hardness should be about right. Solids, fat and stabiliser drive the structure and decide whether the scoop is creamy or short — this calculator can’t see them.
Does it work for sugar-free recipes?
Only partly. Polyols such as maltitol and erythritol carry their own coefficients, which aren’t listed here. If you work with those, this calculator won’t be enough.
Run this on the whole recipe
This calculator handles sugars only. In Scooply the same balance arrives together with solids, fat, cost and allergens — for the entire recipe at once.