Who doesn't love food? It's fun to make, it's fun to eat, it's fun to ...study? That's right! There is a lot of science that goes into the everyday foods that you love. Try one of our food science projects to explore questions such as how baking ingredients work, how and why certain ingredients mix well together, and why people's tastes differ.
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that has many functions in the body. Vitamin C is needed to bolster the immune system. It is an antioxidant that protects LDL cholesterol from oxidative damage, and it is needed to make collagen, a substance that strengthens many parts of the body, such as muscles and blood vessels. Our bodies do not make vitamin C, so we must get it from dietary sources. Citrus fruits, carrots, avocados, and spinach all have vitamin C. Bell peppers, like the ones shown in…
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FoodSci_p039
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Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites
Material Availability
Titration equipment and supplies are needed. A kit is available from our partner .
Cost
High ($100 - $150)
Safety
Adult supervision required. Iodine solution is poisonous. Avoid skin and eye contact. Wear chemical safety goggles and rubber gloves when handling the concentrated solution. For more tips, consult the
Do you enjoy drinking smoothies packed full of berries and other tasty fruits? Or maybe you like drinking a creamy milkshake with peanut butter, chocolate, and bananas. Smoothies and milkshakes are often tasty to us because of the sugar in them. But did you know there are different kinds of sugar? Some ingredients in a smoothie can have more than one kind of sugar in them, and our bodies process each kind of sugar differently. In this science project, you will measure the concentration of…
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FoodSci_p073
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Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
A sugar metabolism kit containing most of the specialty supplies needed for this project is available from our partner
.
If lactase drops are not available in your local drug store or grocery store, you will need to order them online. See the Materials section for more details.
Have you ever gone to pour yourself a cup of milk and all you get is milk clumps? What happened to the milk is called coagulation, which is the mechanism that occurs when proteins in the milk clump together. While you do not necessarily want this in your milk, without coagulation (or curdling), there would not be any cheese or yogurt, which is why it is a very important process in the food industry. But what makes milk curdle? In this science project you will use pineapple juice to curdle milk…
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BioChem_p032
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Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites
A familiarity with basic chemistry and experience with simple electronics would be helpful, but is not absolutely required.
Material Availability
For your convenience a kit is available for this project from our partner
. For data analysis, a spreadsheet program, such as Google SheetsTM or Microsoft® Excel® is helpful.
