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Key Concepts in Biology

Food tests and the energy in food

  • 3 things to know
  • Papers 1 and 2

Overview

The iodine, Benedict's, biuret, emulsion and Sudan III tests for starch, reducing sugars, protein and fats, preparing samples and using a control, and measuring the energy in food by calorimetry, calculating energy transferred and energy per gram, and why the value is too low and how to improve it.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Describe how a food sample is tested for starch and for reducing sugars, giving the result of each.

Key term

Explain why calorimetry usually gives a value lower than the true energy content of a food.

Key term

Which reagent is used to test a food sample for starch?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Which reagent is used to test a food sample for starch?

    Model answer

    Iodine solution is used to test for starch.

  2. 2

    Describe the colour change of iodine solution in a positive test for starch.

    Model answer

    The orange-brown iodine solution turns blue-black.

  3. 3

    Describe how a food sample is tested for reducing sugars.

    Model answer

    Add Benedict's solution to the food solution and heat it in a water bath at about 80 °C for a few minutes.

  4. 4

    Describe the colour change seen in a strongly positive test for reducing sugars.

    Model answer

    The blue Benedict's solution turns brick-red.

  5. 5

    Explain how the reducing sugar test can show that one food contains more sugar than another.

    Model answer

    The colour moves further from blue through green, yellow and orange to brick-red as the concentration of reducing sugar increases.

  6. 6

    Which reagent tests for protein, and what colour change shows a positive result?

    Model answer

    Biuret solution is used, and it changes from blue to purple or lilac.

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