Food Science

Extraction of Fat from Chocolate Chips

5th March 2015

Group 2 Members:
1. Nice

Sirirat

Jittakajornkait

5761134

2. Jidd

Vorawan

Chanvorawit

5761174

3. Pew

Wittida

Chantawichayasuit

5761179

4. Putter

Yanaj

Budhijalananda

5761180

Lipids are chemically defined as a substance that is insoluble in water and soluble in
alcohol, ether, and chloroform. Therefore, there are 5 different types of lipids; oil, fats,
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phospholipids, steroids, and waxes. Fats and oil are both provide long term energy and it
can also be classified as visible fat and invisible fat. Visible fat is an observable fat or fat that
we can see by our eyes. In opposite, invisible fat is hidden fat or fat that we cannot see by
our eyes. In addition, fatty acids are the chains of hydrocarbon with a carboxylic group
(COOH) and a methyl group (CH3) at the end. There are three main types of fatty acids
which is called saturated, unsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Firstly, saturated
fatty acids are a single bonds molecules which mostly from the animals such as tallow (beef
fat), butter, and pork fat, and this type of fatty acids are solid at room temperature. Secondly,
unsaturated fatty acids are normally double with kink, they are come from plants such as
vegetable oil and corn oil, which are liquid at room temperature. Lastly, many double bonds
of fatty acids are also called polyunsaturated such as soybean oil, they also have a similar
properties as the unsaturated fatty acid. In this experiment we focus mainly on extracting the
invisible fat from chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, and potato chips. Moreover, to perform
this experiment we need a chemical substance called acetone which is used to extract this
type of fat out of the food. While we were working on this experiment we observedall of
those three food carefully and it took us two days to finish the experiment.
Purpose: In this experiment we will be extracting and examining the fat in chocolate
chips.
Materials:

Chocolate chips
Acetone
100-mm Petri dishes
400-ml beakers
50-ml graduated cylinders

Procedure:

Results:
This is the picture when we did step 8 in the lab which is,
swirl the acetone that we already put in the beaker for 1
minute in a well-ventilated area. Chocolate became
dissolve in acetone quickly like itis melting.

These are the results from the first day. When we tried
to pour out the fats, it dried and stuck inside. So, we
have to add more acetone to pour out. Accidentally,
some of the chocolate in the beaker came out with
fatswhen we tried to transfer it to the new petri dish.

We let our results dry for one night and came to check the results on the second day of the
lab. The results in both petri dish and beaker completely dry.However, when we did the lab
on the first day, we didnt weight the petri dish. So, we had to transfer to another one since
each petri dish has different weight.
Table 1: Weigh of Chocolate Chips
Food

Weight
of food
(g)

Chocolate
chips

Weight of
food after 24
hours (g)

Weight lost
from food
overnight (g)

Percent
lipid
extraction
(%)

3.31g

1.51g

31.33%

4.82g

Analyzing Results:

Percent
lipid from
Nutrition
label(%)
30%

Percent
error (%)

4.43%

1. Compare the results of each group within teams and between teams (Compare
group 1 and group 2 for chocolate chips, etc. Compare the results for chocolate chips,
potato chips, and sunflower seeds).
Table 2: Weigh of food
Food

Weight
of food
(g)

Weight of
food after 24
hours (g)

Weight lost
from food
overnight (g)

Percent
lipid
extraction
(%)

Percent
lipid from
Nutrition
label (%)

Percent
error (%)

Chocolate
chips #1

4.33g

3.05g

1.28g

29.56%

30%

-1.47%

Chocolate
chips #2

4.82g

3.31g

1.51g

31.33%

30%

4.433%

Potato
Chips #1

5.05g

4.25g

0.8g

15.84%

30%

-47.2%

Potato
Chips #2

5g

4.77g

0.23g

4.6%

30%

-84.67%

Sunflower
Seeds #1

5.41g

5.1g

0.31g

5.7%

53.3%

-84.3%

Sunflower
Seeds #2

5g

4.32g

0.68g

13.6%

53.3%

-74.4%

Chart 1: Percent Error

To compare chocolate chips team one and team

two, percent lipid extraction of chocolate #1 is very close to the percent

lipid from nutrition label of chocolate but, as you can see in the table the
percent lipid extraction of chocolate team 1 isnt reach 30% yet. So
chocolate team 1 might do something wrong in the process of added the
acetone then stir it with chocolate, maybe they stir it not long enough.
Since their percent lipid extraction is not above 30%,which normally the
percent lipid extraction of chocolate should be exactly equal to the percent
lipid from nutrition label.In addition, our group also made a mistake that
affect our percent error. When we transfer the acetone out of the beaker
to petri dish, we accidentally poured out a pieces of chocolate with
ittoo.That action change our weigh a little bit which resulted in high
percentage of error too. Lastly, we could say that chocolate team 1 is
more accurate the percent of lipid extraction is very close to the percent
lipid from nutrition label.If we read through the nutrition label, it will tell us
that in every 15 grams of chocolate chips it contain 4.5 grams of fat or
1.5grams of fat in every 5 grams of chocolate chips. Which in the table
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above chocolate team 1 have 4.33 grams of chocolate with 1.28 grams of
fat, and for our group is 4.82 grams of chocolate with 1.51 grams of fat.
From seeing these numbers we would assume that our group is more
accurate than another group. Besides, if we based on the percent error,
chocolate team 1 would be the winner.
- As you can see from the percent error column in
the table, our group is the only one that have positive percent error.
Chocolate chips team 1s percent error is closest to the nutrition label (1.47%), while potato chips team 2s percent error is the furthest one (84.67%). We think chocolate chips is the only one food that containfats
while another two contain oil (we will talk more in question two and three).
Our chocolate chips have both fat and emulsifier, and the stuff that we
extract by using acetone is left as a solid.
2. Describe the appearance of the fats in the petri dishes for each of the 3 teams.
Table 3: Appearance of the fats in the petri dishes
Food
Chocolate
chips

Picture

Description
In chocolate chips,
both groups have
the same results.
The fats in
chocolate chips
that we and the
other group let it
dry overnight was
dehydrate and
have no moisture
left. The powderlike fat spread and
stick to all over the
petri dishes.

Color

Light
brown,
and
darker
brown

Appearance

Solid,
powder-like

Potato
chips

Both groups that

did the potato
chips lab have the
results of fats
same as each
other. In the petri
dishes there are
oily stuff inside and
it stay all over the
edges of petri
dishes.

Sunflower
seeds

The results of fats

in sunflower seeds
show that both
petri dishes are the
same. The stuff
that left spread all
over the petri
dishes

Yellowish
and
orange

Liquid, oily,
grease

Light
yellowish
- brown

Semi-solid
(more liquid)
spot, both
solid and
liquid

3. Determine which of the foods contained saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in
this experiment, based on your descriptions of fats in the Petri dishes.
-

Based on our description and knowledge, chocolate chips are

saturated fats. In our observation, things that contain inside the petri dishes
are stick to the dishes and solid (a characteristic of saturated fat).Next,
sunflower seeds are made up from plant, it can be both saturated and
unsaturatedfatty acid (more unsaturated) because we observed both light
yellowishbrown solid and liquid spot in the petri dishes. Last, potato chips
are unsaturated fatty acid because in our observation it was very obvious
yellowish and orange liquid (look like an oil) in the petri dishes of potato chip.

4. How can you account for the percent error that was calculated?
-

Percent error that was calculate is the terms that tell us

whether we extract the lipid out are more than or less than the nutrition label,
or the error that we made throughout the process. Our group would account
for the percent error that was calculated by these three reasons. First, the
weight of food (after crush); after we crush chocolate chips then weigh them,
it is not equal to 5 grams.So when we compared to the percent lipid from
nutrition label that tells us about grams of fats in the chocolate chips (4.5
grams of fat in every 15 grams of chocolate chips or 1.5grams of fat in every
5 grams of chocolate chips) we cannot be exactly tell that our percent error is
correct or not as our weight of food is not the same as what nutrition label is
provided. Second, transferring process; when we transfer the acetone with
our chocolate chips from the beaker to petri dish, some pieces of chocolate
also fall into our petri dishes which gave our chocolate heavier than it should
be. Last, an emulsifier in chocolate chips; continue from the second reason,
not only some pieces of chocolate that fall over. The emulsifier that might also
dissolved in acetone then mix with fat was poured out, it gave us more weight
in the petri dishes when it should be only fats weight. Those three reasons
directly affect to our percent error, and also explained the origin (how come)
of percent error throughout our experiment.
Conclusion:
In every single food they contain fat, whether it is visible or invisible. Some invisible
fat give us an extra calories and might bad for our health. In the other hand, invisible fat can
be an essential fatty acids too. An essential fatty acids are the fatty acid that our body need
but we cannot make them up by ourselves so we have to get it from food. In this experiment
we use three different examples which are chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, and potato

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chips to test about an invisible fats by using an acetone to extract them out. Furthermore, to
deal with invisible fat, we need to start with weight our food (in this experiment we use about
5 grams of chocolate chips), then pour acetone into the crushed food. After that we need to
mixed it evenly and left it overnight for acetone to dry out. We work on this about two days
and our group have to redo some procedures.
Since the first day of the lab, when we added acetone into the beaker, the chocolate
chips instantly dissolved in acetone. Moreover, after we swirled the beaker for one minute, it
quickly dried and stuck in the beaker so that we couldnt pour the solution out to the petri
dish. We had to add more acetone into beaker but we accidentally pour the chocolate chips
along with acetone. So, some of chocolate chips remained in the petri dish. We came to see
our results in the following day. It came out that the chocolate chips in petri dish dried like a
powder. While the appearance of the results in chocolate chips from ours and another group
are both same as each other, the results in weight and percentage are different. The
percentage of lipid extraction in the first group is closer to the percent lipid from nutrition
label. Surprisingly, it didnt reach to what nutrition label showed which is 30% and we
couldnt tell either us or another group is more accurate in this lab.
At first, we forgot to weight the petri dishes and we had to transfer the chocolate
chips to another petri dishes and weight it again. During the experiment, we stirred acetone
with chocolate chips around 1 minute but it turned solid so we had to redo it again.
Moreover, we poured the acetone with chocolate chips into petri dishes but it had some
pieces of chocolate chips so it increased weight of the petri dishes as well as increased of
percent errors. For the improvement, we need to make sure that we will do the experiment
step by step and follow the instruction carefully. Additionally, we must be more accurate than
this time (about the weight and other stuff) because if we put the substance too much (add
an emulsifier to fat), it will cause errors and may be some danger.

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This experiment also teaches us that we cannot know which food have fats or not by
just looking at it. People also need to have some type of fatty acids to help the body which
called an essential fatty acids. Although, those fatty acids,we found it in sunflower seeds so
we can get them by eating sunflower seed or nut. Lastly, people must be careful on their diet
choice. There is nothing in this world that contain no fats, or even when it said in the nutrition
label about fat free. You must keep in mind that if there is no obvious fat that we can see,
there are still might contain a lot of invisible fat that is not a friend to your diet.

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