Name: Shantelle Anderson
Date: November 9, 2021
Topic:Food test
Aim: To test the presence of reducing,non-reducing,starch,lipid/fat,protein in different food
sample
Materials and Apparatus: Benedict’s solution, dilute hydrochloric acid, sodium hydrogen
carbonate, iodine/potassium iodide, 5% potassium hydroxide solution, 1% copper sulphate
solution,glucose,bread, oil,egg white,sucrose solution, test tubes,forcep,beakers, boiling tube,
Bunsen burner,dropper,white tile, measuring cylinders, test tube racks
Method for Benedict’s test
1. 2 cm3 solution of reducing sugar was added to a test tube.
2. An equal volume of Benedict’s solution was added.
3. Sample was shaken and brought gently to boil.
4. Test was repeated using egg,sucrose solution ,oil and bread.
Method for non-reducing sugar
1. 2cm3 of sucrose was added to the test tube.
2. 1cm3 of dilute hydrochloric acid was added and boiled for one minute.
3. Solution was carefully neutralized with sodium hydrogen carbonate.
4. Benedict’s test was carried out.
5. Test was repeated using glucose, oil, egg white and bread.
Method for Starch
1. 2cm3 1% of the starch solution was added to the test tube.
2. A few drops of I/KI solution were added.
3. The latter was alternatively added to the solid form of starch .
4. Test was repeated using glucose, sucrose solution, oil and egg.
Method for Lipid
1. 2cm3 of fat or oil was added to the test tube containing 2cm3 of absolute ethanol.
2. The lipid was dissolved by shaking vigorously.
3. An equal volume of cold water was added.
4. Test was repeated using glucose, sucrose solution, bread and egg.
Method for biuret test
1. 2cm3 of protein solution was added to the test tube.
2. An equal volume of 5% potassium hydroxide was added to the solution and mixed.
3. Two drops of 1% copper sulphate solution were added and mixed.No heating was
required.
4. Test was repeated using glucose, sucrose, bread and oil.
Observations
It was observed that reducing sugars are present in glucose, bread and egg white hence their
solutions changing to orange at the end of the experiment and for those food samples without
the results we’re not orange. Non-reducing sugars are present in sucrose resulting in a brick red
result. It was observed that starch is present in bread hence the result of blue-black coloration.
Starch is not present in neither oil,egg white,sucrose, nor glucose. Protein is present in egg
white and bread resulting in their color changing to purple and not present in the other food
samples hence the reason they didn’t change to purple. Lipids are present in oil hence the
change to a cloudy white precipitate.A small amount of lipid is also present in bread hence the
translucent solution and egg white hence the clump of egg white.
Results
TABLE SHOWING PRESENCE OF DIFFERENT NUTRIENTS IN VARIOUS TYPES OF
FOODS
Food test Glucose Sucrose Oil Egg white Bread
Starch/Iodine From white to From clear The oil at the After iodine The bread
test transparent,p to pale bottom became solution changes to
ale yellow yellow thick in texture was added blue-black
and the iodine they
on top remained remained
in its liquid state separate
but
combined
after two
minutes
Protein/Biuret When copper Solution The oil changed When The mixture
sulphate was turned to to a white color copper changed to
added it light blue after sodium sulphate purple
changed to and after a hydroxide was was added
light blue, few minutes added, it then the solution
after a few changed to changed to light changed
minutes it light pink blue at the into a light
then changed bottom and purple
to light pink white at the top
Ethanol Remained Remained After oil was After egg After bread
emulsion unchanged unchanged added to white was was added to
(clear) (Clear) ethanol and added to ethanol a
shaken the test translucent
vigorously, a tube with mixture was
cloudy liquid ethanol and formed
was formed and shaken
after cold water vigorously,
was added a a white
cloudy clump was
precipitate was formed.
formed After cold
water was
added the
clump
remained
Reducing Changed From blue to After oil was Changed After
sugar from blue to yellow-green added to from yellow Benedict’s
orange after it then to brick ethanol and to lavender solution was
was boilt red cold water a and then added it
cloudy after boiling changed from
precipitate was it changed cloudy blue to
formed to a light yellow-green
orange and the finally
orange
Non-reducing Changed Changed Was separated Separated Color
sugar from blue to from blue to from Benedict’s from changed
green then to green then solution Benedict’s quickly from
brick red to brick red resulting in no solution blue to yellow
color change with a burnt
purple,egg
white then
changed to
cloudy
yellow
Discussion
Nutrients are compounds in foods essential to life and health, providing us with energy, the
building blocks for repair and growth and substances necessary to regulate chemical
processes.There are six major nutrients: Carbohydrates (CHO), Lipids (fats), Proteins, Vitamins,
Minerals, Water. Food tests enable you to find out what food types a food contains. There are
different tests which can be used to detect carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. They involve
adding a reagent to a food sample which changes colour depending on what biological
molecules are present.
Starch is a carbohydrate commonly found in nature and one of the primary sources of food
energy for human beings. Alongside fiber and sugar, starch is one of the three main categories
of carbohydrates. To test that starch is present a few drops of iodine solution is added and if
starch is present, the area will change to blue-black.This colour is obtained as a result of a
characteristic chemical reaction between the iodine and starch molecules. If no blue-black
colour was observed, then this would have been a negative test meaning no starch is present.
Proteins are made up of chemical 'building blocks' called amino acids. Your body uses amino
acids to build and repair muscles and bones and to make hormones and enzymes. They can
also be used as an energy source. Biuret solution is used to identify the presence of protein.
Biuret reagent is a blue solution that, when it reacts with protein, will change color to pink-
purple.If the colour change results in a purple colour, then protein is present. This purple colour
is derived from a chemical reaction between amino acids in protein and the copper ions in the
biuret solution. This was a positive test since a purple colour was observed after adding the
solution. Fat in food serves as an energy source with high caloric density, adds texture and
taste, and contributes to satiety.Lipids are detected using the emulsion test. This is what
happens: The test substance is mixed with 2 cm 3 of ethanol. An equal volume of distilled water
is added. If lipids are present, a milky-white emulsion or a cloudy white precipitate is
formed.This test is called an emulsion test because it causes test solutions to be suspended in
the ethanol, allowing lipids present to dissolve since fats are soluble in alcohol. When water is
added the fats “fallout” the solution since they are not soluble in water. This forms a cloudy
emulsion. This was a positive test since a cloudy creamy substance was observed.
In the lab, we used Benedict's reagent to test for reducing sugar: glucose. Benedict's reagent
starts out aqua-blue. As it is heated in the presence of reducing sugars, it turns yellow to
orange. The "hotter '' is the final color of the reagent, the higher the concentration of reducing
sugar. If a reducing sugar is present in a solution, adding Benedict's reagent and heating will
form an insoluble red precipitate. Non-reducing sugars do not change the colour of the solution,
which is blue, and so we have to break the sugar down to monosaccharides by hydrolysis to
prove they're non-reducing.
Precautions
1. Ensure to handle hot water and lit Bunsen burners with care.
2. Ensure hydrochloric acid doesn’t come in contact with skin (protective gears were worn).
Source of error
1. Ensure benedict’s solution was heated
Conclusion
It was concluded that some of the food samples contained different one of each nutrient some
more than others.For example bread contained more starch than that of sucrose hence the
color change of bread being blue black and the color change of sucrose being from clear to pale
yellow.
