New
New
Year 8

Food tests: practical

I can carry out tests for nutrients and some of the substances they are broken down into.

New
New
Year 8

Food tests: practical

I can carry out tests for nutrients and some of the substances they are broken down into.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Chemical reagents can be used to test for large food molecules including protein, fat, and carbohydrates such as starch.
  2. Chemical reagents can be used to test for smaller food molecules, such as sugars from the breakdown of starch.
  3. Interpretation of qualitative food test results.

Keywords

  • Food test - A food test shows if a specific type of food is present in a sample.

  • Reagent - A reagent is a chemical used to test for a type of food.

  • Qualitative - A qualitative test is one that gives an indication of presence, but not an exact figure.

  • Quantitative - A quantitative test is one that gives a measurable, numerical, value.

Common misconception

Confusing the reagents and the substances they test for, or the results of the tests.

Each test is dealt with separately and the positive and negative results are discussed sequentially.

In the third learning cycle, consider having some physical examples of quantitative tests to hand as described in the lesson.
Teacher tip

Equipment

pestle & mortar, distilled water, white tile, Iodine & Benedict's solutions, boiling tube water bath

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
True or false? Food is broken down into nutrients by both mechanical and chemical digestion.
Correct answer: True
False
Q2.
Match the food to the nutrient it is broken down into.
Correct Answer:Amino acids,Fish

Fish

Correct Answer:Glycerol and fatty acids,Butter

Butter

Correct Answer:Sugars,Potato

Potato

Q3.
Which organ makes bile to help breakdown fats?
Correct Answer: Liver, Livor
Q4.
Put these in order to show the path of food through the body.
An image in a quiz
1 - oesophagus
2 - stomach
3 - small intestine
4 - large intestine
5 - rectum
Q5.
True of false? Enzymes are chemicals that are used up during the chemical breakdown of food.
True
Correct answer: False
Q6.
Match the type of enzyme to the nutrient that is released.
Correct Answer:Protease ,Amino acids

Amino acids

Correct Answer:Lipase,Glycerol and fatty acids

Glycerol and fatty acids

Correct Answer:Carbohydrase,Sugars

Sugars

6 Questions

Q1.
What is a food test?
A test that shows the quality of a food.
A test that shows how much food we have.
Correct answer: A test that shows if a specific type of food is present in a sample.
A test that shows if the food contains additives.
Q2.
Match the food test to its results.
Correct Answer:In a positive test for starch,the iodine will turn blue/black in colour.

the iodine will turn blue/black in colour.

Correct Answer:In a negative test for starch,the iodine will stay red/brown in colour.

the iodine will stay red/brown in colour.

Correct Answer:In a positive test for sugar,the Benedict's solution will change colour.

the Benedict's solution will change colour.

Correct Answer:In a negative test for sugar, the Benedict's solution will stay blue.

the Benedict's solution will stay blue.

Q3.
Put the method for testing if reducing sugars are present, in the right order.
1 - Grind the food into small pieces using a pestle and mortar.
2 - Add a few drops of distilled water to the sample to create a suspension.
3 - Transfer the suspension into a boiling tube.
4 - Add an equal volume of Benedict’s solution to the boiling tube.
5 - Mix thoroughly and place in a warm water bath, leave for 5 min.
Q4.
Starting with the least, put these foods in order of the amount of reducing sugars they contain.
An image in a quiz
1 - Cheese
2 - Mango
3 - Orange juice
4 - Pineapple juice
Q5.
What does this result tell us about the food being tested?
An image in a quiz
It contains enzymes.
It contains protein.
It contains glycerol and fatty acids.
Correct answer: It contains starch.
It contains amino acids.
Q6.
Both iodine and Benedict’s solution give an indication of the presence or absence of a food, but not a quantitative result, we call this a result.
Correct Answer: Qualitative, Qualtative
Q4 UYSEG Q5 UYSEG

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