Nutrition Label AP Project

Purpose: To analyze the contents of a processed food within the household to determine the major macromolecules
found within it.

Task:

1. Search your kitchen/pantry for a food that is processed (has a nutrition label with the ingredients shown on the
label). The item of your choice MUST have a minimum of 8 different substances listed as ingredients.
2. Take a picture of the nutrition label, including the ingredients list.

3. Analyze the contents:

a. Sort each ingredient into one of the four major macromolecule groups. Google it if you need to, or go by
our naming rules you learned in class. Present this in an organized format, such as a table.

Carbohydrates Lipids Proteins Nucleic Acids Inorganic Substances

Whole Grain Oats, Canola Oil, Soy none none Salt, Baking Soda,
Sugar, Honey, Brown Lecithin Natural Flavors
Sugar Syrup, Rice
Flour

b. You will most likely find something that does not fit any of the groups. If you need to, you can add a
group labeled “Vitamins” and/or “Artificial Substances” (aka preservatives).
c. Then, explain what role/purpose each ingredient plays within the food (energy, binding agent etc.).

Whole Grain Oats- Provide main source of carbohydrates for short term energy

Sugar- Another source of short term energy through carbohydrates

Honey- Helps to bind oats together

Rice Flour- Prevents food from being too sticky

Brown Sugar Syrup- Added for taste, also energy by carbs

Canola Oil- prevents sticking while cooking, less saturated alternative to other oils.

Soy Lecithin- Binding agent and oat lubricant

Salt- Added for taste and to balance carbs

Baking Soda- leavening agent

Natural Flavors- added for taste

d. Finally, explain how the substance is processed by the body. Stick to mostly superficial like digested by
[organ] due to a chemical reaction with [most likely an enzyme but be specific here and name the
enzyme] and absorbed into [bloodstream?] at [insert body location]. For this section attach your online
sources.

Whole Grain Oats- Most of the fiber in oats are soluble, meaning on contact with liquid turn into a gel-like consistency
and slow the absorption of nutrients into the intestines. Some fiber in the oats are insoluble and do not get digested,
going to colon and creating more solid stool. https://healthfully.com/oatmeal-digestion-12683284.html

Sugar- Amylase in the saliva breaks apart the glucose molecules from the starch molecules. Starch then is broken down
again by amylase from the pancreas. Folds in the small intestine called villi have hexose transporters that bind the bind
the broken down sugars (monosaccharides) and carry them to the inside of the intestinal cell, where they are absorbed
into the capillaries and carried through the bloodstream. https://healthfully.com/517367-how-is-sugar-processed-in-
the-body.html

Honey- Honey is processed like sugar but differs in a few ways. Enzymes already in honey act as a catalyst in digestion,
helping to break apart the carbohydrates and sugars. It is metabolized slower than refined sugars and also takes a
slower path, bringing similar effects to stool as whole grain oats. https://www.dabur.com/daburhoney/benefits-of-
honey/honey-for-health/honey-for-digestion

Rice Flour- Rice is mainly complex chains of carbohydrates, meaning the body breaks down these carbs into glucose. The
hormone insulin is released to determine how much sugar is being let into cells (most commonly liver and muscles)
https://www.livestrong.com/article/553793-how-is-rice-metabolized-in-the-body/

Brown Sugar Syrup- Like Sugar and honey, brown sugar is digested in a similar way, beginning with breaking down by
amylases in saliva then moving down trough digestive tract. However, the extra water helps to push through the colon
ease constipation better than refined sugars. https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/brown-sugar/

Canola Oil- Begins by being broken down by lipases in the saliva. In the stomach it’s broken down further into a semi
liquid. It reaches the small intestine and the gallbladder releases bile and the pancreas releases ions neutralizing the pH.
Lipases break it down more, and fats are converted into triglycerides, which in combination with other lipids allow it to
be water soluble and absorb into the bloodstream. https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/fats-digested-8510.html

Salt- Does not get digested, but instead helps the body to absorb and digest other foods we eat. The chlorine atom
(NaCl) in salt is absorbed into the bloodstream to help produce the HCl secreted by stomach cells. The sodium is super
important as well to aid the body in its ability to absorb monosaccharides and amino acids.
https://www.livestrong.com/article/427629-sodium-chloride-and-digestion/

Baking Soda- Baking soda is similar to salt, containing sodium, but is also a neutralizer for acids. It aids in breaking down
fatty molecules making digestion easier. It also can calm heartburn (acid reflux), by neutralizing the acids.
https://www.leaf.tv/8205917/what-are-the-health-benefits-of-baking-soda-for-digestion/
Soy Lecithin- Soy Lecithin’s “emulsifying qualities” help in chain reactions lubricating the walls of digestive tract and
allowing for easier digestion and bowel movements. https://www.healthline.com/health/lecithin-benefits#aids-
breastfeeding-mothers

Natural Flavors- Natural Flavors can mean a wide range of items, and it is never disclosed what they are. No matter what
they wouldn’t have too much of an effect due to being last on the ingredients list.

4. Summarize your findings:

a. Write a 2 sentence explanation on whether you think the food you chose is “healthy”. Refer back to
your analysis section when you are writing this and use it as justification to support your claim.

I don’t believe this granola bars are healthy because although the ingredients list is short, it contains high amounts of
sugar, with three out of the top five ingredients are either being straight sucrose or sucrose mixed with other
carbohydrates. While only providing short term energy, this amount of sugar also triggers the body to release an
abundance of insulin, and if not kept under moderation can lead to syndromes such as diabetes.

Note: Be sure to include at least 5 total key vocab terms from the unit within the responses. Bold and underline them to
make it clear and please make sure they are incorporated and not just stuck on there with a definition.

It is my strong suggestion to put this in your Digital Portfolio.