Nutrition Label AP Project: What are you eating and why are

you eating it?

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 5
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.
 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 in the body (energy, binding agent etc.).
i. Include the structure or picture ( 1 picture)
ii. Its importance in the body (list 2)
iii. Where it is found or used in the body (list 2).

4. Summarize your findings:

a. Write a 8 sentence MINIMUM paragraph explaining whether you think the food you chose is “healthy”
or beneficial to your body. (Elaborate : Does your body need all of these ingredients? Is there anything in
excess amount or missing? What do the *extra* ingredients provide to your body? Could you live off this
food alone?) Refer back to your analysis section when you are writing this and use it as justification to
support your claim. If you used any resources, make sure you paraphrase, and provide links.

3a:

- Milk Chocolate
o Sugar: carb
o Chocolate: carb
o Skim Milk: carb
o Cocoa butter: lipid
o Lactose: carb
o Milkfat: lipid
o Soy Lecithin: lipid
o Salt: carb
o Artificial and natural flavors: artificial substances
- Cornstarch: carb
- Corn Syrup: carb
- Coloring: artificial substances
- Carnauba Wax: artificial substances
- Gum Acacia: carb
o https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ah
UKEwj_h8iohczrAhUNm1kKHQjRDfcQFjACegQIDBAF&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ticgums.com%2Fg
um-acacia-fiber.html&usg=AOvVaw0fzKub23xoMiSqr2LLbiRS

3c:

Milk Chocolate:

- Improvement in heart and brain health

- High in calcium
o Original chocolate is found in cocoa beans, but milk chocolate is made with combining chocolate
liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, and whole milk
o Found in most candy
Cornstarch:
- Gluten-free, wheat flour sub
- Used to thicken soups, sauces, and other foods
o The digestive system breaks down carbs to glucose, but since cornstarch doesn’t have fiber,
fat, or protein to slow the process, cornstarch gives your body quickly
o Found in the bran and germ of corn kernels

Corn syrup
- Maintains quality of product and enhances its flavor
- Keep costs of food and beverages down
o Derived form corn starch
o Our body must convert it to glucose or fat by the liver before we can use it for fuel
Food Coloring
- Adds vibrant color to foods
- Barely any nutritional value to the body
o Found in many processed foods
o Coloring is broken down by digestive enzymes (most)

Carnauba Wax
- Does not provide much importance to the human body
- May cause skin rashes, acne, inflammation of hair follicles, and skin irritation
o Melting point for body is too high to melt, goes right through body without being absorbed
o Found in many processed food, especially candy
Gum Acacia
- Good source of fiber
- Reduces body fat
o Found in many foods and hygiene products
o Contains water soluble dietary fibers (WSDF), good fibers, and helpful in keeping
cholesterol under control

4a:

The bag of 1-pound M&Ms I chose is undoubtedly unhealthy for the human body. Although it does contain milk
chocolate, an excellent supplier of calcium, the amount of sugar and preservatives in the products ultimately makes it
bad when eaten in copious amounts. The ingredients in the product contains mostly preservatives, coloring, and flavor
enhancing products. This, in turn, does not have a very good effect on the human body compared to fresh fruits and
vegetables. Although these preservatives and flavor adding don’t give much nutritional value and seem harmless, adding
these preservatives can actually cause more harm than good because of the amount of chemicals in these ingredients.
They can cause side effects like hair loss, skin rashes, acne, and even skin irritation. Our bodies most certainty don’t
need all of these ingredients; the product isn’t even a necessary food to live. There is an excess amount of sugar in this
product, making it extremely unhealthy. If you were to only drink water and eat M&Ms =, you would pass away in the
early stages. Since each serving of M&Ms is made up of around 34% sugar, eating this alone would starve your body of
vital nutrients it needs to carry on its natural processes. According to Harvard and WebMD, one way too much sugar can
harm you is by contributing to heart disease, where it can and will lead to heart stroke, heart attacks, and even strokes
due to the high volume of extra sugar leading to a high spike in blood pressure and fats in the blood stream.
https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/ss/slideshow-diabetes-too-much-sugar

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/eating-too-much-added-sugar-increases-the-risk-of-dying-with-heart-disease-
201402067021