FOOD TESTS

LQ: HOW DO WE TEST FOR DIFFERENT BIOLOGICAL

MOLECULES?
LQ: HOW DO WE TEST FOR DIFFERENT BIOLOGICAL
MOLECULES?

KEY WORDS

I CAN state the reagent used to test for starch and - Starch
for reducing sugars - Sugars
- Iodine
- Benedicts
I CAN recall the colour change when both starch and - Glucose
reducing sugars are present - Biuret Test
- Peptide
I CAN describe and carry out the food test for starch - Protein
and reducing sugars - Lipid
- Ethanol
- Emulsion
COLLABORATE: You can’t always tell what ingredients are used
in foods just by looking at them. Why is it important that we
know all the ingredients used in our food?

Food labels must have a list of ingredients and

must point out substances that people may be
ALLERGIC to (e.g., nuts, eggs, milk).

In 2013 it was discovered that across

Europe horse meat had been sold instead of
beef.
How can scientists check that food
labels are accurate, and the products
are what they say they are?
 FOOD TESTS
● Simple food tests can be used to investigate the presence of
BIOLOGICAL MOLECULES within a food sample, including:

STARC
H

FAT
PROTEI
N
SIMPLE
SUGARS

● These tests are QUALITATIVE, which means they are used to

investigate the TYPE of molecules present rather than HOW MUCH
DEMONSTRATE: You are going to carry out a series of food
tests to determine which nutrients are found in different food
samples. First you will need to watch the demonstration and
complete your method sheet. (You will need some coloured
pencils).
 TESTING FOR SUGARS

To test for simple sugars such as glucose you use Benedict’s

solution. Benedict’s solution is a BLUE liquid.

● Add a few drops of Benedict’s

solution to the food solution.
● Heat the test tube in a water
bath above 80oC for 5 minutes.

If the solution turns GREEN or ORANGE / RED, the food contains

sugar.
DEMONSTRATE: Fill in this information on your method sheet
and colour in the test tubes to show a negative and positive
result.
BENEDICT’S TEST FOR SUGARS
 TESTING FOR STARCH
Starch is a type of carbohydrate.
QUESTION: What does the body use starch for?

To test for starch, you use an IODINE solution.

Iodine solution is an ORANGE-YELLOW liquid.

● Add a few drops of iodine solution to the

food solution.
If the solution turns a dark BLUE-BLACK
colour, the food contains starch.

DEMONSTRATE: Fill in this information on your method sheet

and colour in the test tubes to show a negative and positive
result.
IODINE TEST - STARCH
 TESTING FOR PROTEIN
To test for protein, you use copper sulphate and sodium
hydroxide solutions (sometimes called Biuret A & B). Copper
sulphate solution is a PALE-BLUE liquid. Sodium hydroxide is a
colourless liquid.
● Add a few drops of copper sulphate
solution to your food solution.
● Add a few drops of sodium hydroxide
solution.

If the solution turns PURPLE/LILAC, the food

contains protein.
DEMONSTRATE: Fill in this information on your method sheet
and colour in the test tubes to show a negative and positive
result.
BIURET TEST - PROTEIN
 TESTING FOR LIPIDS (FATS)
B) To test for lipids in a food solution you use ETHANOL,
which is a COLOURLESS liquid.

● Add a few drops of ethanol to the food

solution.
● Shake the test tube and leave for one
minute.
● Pour the ethanol in a test tube of warm
If the solution turns CLOUDY, the food
water.
contains fats.

DEMONSTRATE: Fill in this information on your method sheet

and colour in the test tubes to show a negative and positive
result.
ETHANOL TEST - LIPIDS

WATER
 TESTING FOR NON-REDUCING SUGAR

Sugars can be divided into two groups: reducing sugars, like

glucose, (which react with Benedict’s solution) and non-
reducing sugars, like sucrose, (which don’t react with
Benedict’s).
To get non-reducing sugars to react with Benedict’s solution,
they need to be turned into reducing sugars by boiling with
acid.
• Add 2 cm of dilute hydrochloric acid to the food
3

solution.
• Place in a beaker of water and boil for 2-3
minutes.
• Allow the tube to cool down for 5 minutes.
• Add sodium hydrogen carbonate solution a little
at a time until the fizzing stops.
•
DEMONSTRATE: Draw a simple table in your book, showing
all 4 food tests, the colour of the reagent, a positive test
result & negative test result
FOOD TEST COLOUR OF POSITIVE TEST NEGATIVE TEST
REAGENT RESULT RESULT
REVIEW:

FOOD TEST COLOUR OF POSITIVE TEST NEGATIVE TEST

REAGENT RESULT RESULT

IODINE FOR ORANGE - BROWN BLUE-BLACK ORANGE-BROWN (NO

STARCH CHANGE)

BENEDICTS FOR LIGHT BLUE GREEN TO BRICK- LIGHT BLUE (NO

REDUCING RED CHANGE)
SUGARS

BIURET FOR BLUE LILAC-PURPLE BLUE (NO CHANGE)

PROTEIN

ETHANOL FOR COLOURLESS CLOUDY EMULSION COLOURLESS (NO

LIPIDS CHANGE)
 DEMONSTRATE: Past Paper Question

A student is given two samples of carbohydrates. He tests to see if

one is glucose and the other one is starch. Describe the two
chemical tests he should use to identify each carbohydrate
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(4 Marks)
REVIEW:

To identify the two carbohydrates, the student should use the following
chemical tests:

1. Test for Starch:

○ Add a few drops of iodine solution to one of the samples (1
mark).
○ If the sample contains starch, the iodine solution will change
color from brown to blue-black (1 mark).

2. Test for Glucose:

○ Add Benedict's solution to the other sample (1 mark).
○ Heat the mixture in a water bath (1 mark).
○ If the sample contains glucose, the Benedict's solution will
change color from blue to red, orange, yellow, or green,
indicating the presence of reducing sugars (1 mark).
 DEMONSTRATE: Past Paper Question

Describe how you would test a sample of food to show it contains

protein.
Give the reason for any safety precautions you would take.
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(4 Marks)
REVIEW:

1. Grind up the food sample to ensure it is evenly mixed

and can react thoroughly with the reagent. (1 mark)
2. Add Biuret reagent to the food sample (1 mark). If
protein is present, the solution will turn from blue to
purple/lilac (1 mark).
3. Wear goggles to protect eyes from the Biuret reagent,
which is an irritant/corrosive/poisonous (1 mark).

4. Clean up spills immediately to prevent contact with the

skin or ingestion of the reagent, which can be harmful (1
mark).
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