DATE: 31/10/16

TITLE: Food testing

AIM: To test for different food substances

APPARATUS:

 Cornflake  Test tube

 Orange juice  Test tube holder
 Biscuit  Ethanol
 Coffee  Sodium bicarbonate
 Bread  Hot plate
 Yogurt  Iodine
 Banana  Benedicts solution
 Butter  Potassium hydroxide
 Potato  Knife
 Egg  Pipette
 Milk  Diluted hydrochloric
 Beaker  Diluted copper sulfate

DIAGRAM:
Method (Testing for Reducing sugar e.g. glucose)

1. Food samples were placed into test tubes

2. Equal amounts of benedicts solution were added
3. The mixture was boiled

Method (testing for non-reducing sugar e.g. sucrose)

1. The food samples were placed in a test tube

2. The food was boiled with a few drops of diluted hydrochloric acid to break down the
sugar.
3. Sodium bicarbonate was added to neutralize the mixture
4. When the fizzing stopped benedicts solution was added.

Method (testing for starch)

1. Food samples were added to a test tube

2. A few drops of iodine solution was added to the test tubes

Method (testing for lipids)

1. The samples of food were dissolved in ethanol.

2. The solution was then poured into a clean test tube of water.

Method (testing for protein)

1. A few drops of potassium hydroxide were added until the solution was clear.
2. A few drops of diluted copper sulfate was added
3. The mixture was shook
OBSERVATION:

It was observed in the experiment for testing for reducing sugar that the solution of food samples
and benedicts solution turned orange-red if reducing sugar was present. It was also observed that
benedict’s solution did not react with non-reducing sugars.

It was observed in the experiment for testing for non –reducing sugars that the solution of food
samples, diluted hydrochloric acid and sodium bicarbonate turned orange-red if reducing sugar
was present.

It was observed in the experiment for testing for starch that the solution of food samples and
iodine turned blue-black if starch was present.

It was observed in the experiment for testing for lipids that the solution of food samples and
ethanol turned a white cloudy emulsion was seen if lipids were present.

It was observed in the experiment for testing for protein that the solution of food samples ,
potassium hydroxide and copper sulfate that the solution turned a violet color if protein was
present.

RESULTS:

Food Starch Protein Fat Reducing Non-

substances sugar Reducing
sugar

Cornflake     
Orange juice     
Biscuit     
Coffee     
Bread     
Yogurt     
Banana     
Butter     
Potato     
Egg     
Milk     
Table Showing the substances present in the food samples tested
DISCUSSION:

A reducing sugar is any sugar that is capable of acting as a reducing agent because it has a free
aldehyde group or a free ketone group. All monosaccharides are reducing sugars, along with some
disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. In the experiment for testing for reducing
sugars The blue copper(II) ions from copper(II) sulphate are reduced to red copper(I) ions by the
aldehyde groups in the reducing sugars. This accounts for the colour changes .

A nonreducing sugar is a carbohydrate that is not oxidized by a weak oxidizing agent (an
oxidizing agent that oxidizes aldehydes but not alcohols, such as the Tollen’s reagent) in basic
aqueous solution.

Starch is a polysaccharide consisting of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. The
iodine test is used to test for the presence of starch. When treated with potassium iodide solution
—iodine dissolved in an aqueous solution of potassium iodide the triiodide anion complexes with
starch, producing an intense blue/purple colour.

Lipids are molecules that contain hydrocarbons and make up the building blocks of the structure
and function of living cells. Examples of lipids include fats, oils, waxes, certain vitamins,
hormones and most of the non-protein membrane of cells. Lipids are insoluble in water and
soluble in ethanol (an alcohol). After lipids have been dissolved in ethanol and then added to
H2O, they will form tiny dispersed droplets in the water. This is called an emulsion.

Proteins are large biomolecules, or macromolecules, consisting of one or more long chains of
amino acid residues. The Biuret test which is used for testing for proteins is based on the ability
of Cu (II) ions to form a violet-colored chelate complex with peptide bonds (-CONH- groups) in
alkaline conditions.

CONCLUSION:

It is concluded that various foods contain different compounds such as reducing sugar, non-
reducing sugar, starch, lipids and proteins. Therefore, our aim was met.
REFLECTION:

Food contains nutrients that our body needs to survive. Chemical substances such as reducing
sugar, non-reducing sugar, starch, lipids and proteins are the basic building blocks of all
organisms. The most important monosaccharide and reducing sugar is glucose. In the body,
glucose is known as blood sugar because it is essential for brain function and physical energy
while non reducing sugars are important because they provides the human body with the energy
required to perform physical and mental functions. The human body breaks down foods such as
sucrose and starch into fructose and glucose during digestion. The fructose and glucose are
metabolized by the body to release energy to cells. The only purpose of starch is to change into
glucose to be used as energy. Glucose is the usable form of carbohydrate. Glucose circulates
throughout the bloodstream, and gets taken up by cells and used as a source of fuel. Glucose is
used to power all bodily functions, and it is the main source of energy for the brain and nervous
system. The main biological functions of lipids include storing energy, signaling, and acting as
structural components of cell membranes. Proteins have numerous functions such as they are
involved in the creation of some hormones, they are a major element in transportation of certain
molecules, they forms antibodies that help prevent infection, illness and disease and most
importantly Enzymes are proteins that increase the rate of chemical reactions in the body. I have
learnt that different foods contain different components all of which our body needs in the right
amounts and proportions. I have also learnt that there are numerous ways to test for different food
substances.

FOR TEACHERS ONLY

Skill assessed M/M ORR A/I D P/D
Mark obtained