Detection of Starch and Protein in Food

Detecting Starch and Protein in Food! 🍞🥚🔬

Do you know what’s inside the food you eat? 🤔 Some foods are rich in starch, while others are packed with proteins. Today, we will learn how to detect starch and protein in food using simple science experiments! 🥼🧪

Ready? Let’s investigate like real scientists! 🔬🚀

🍞 1. Detecting Starch – The Iodine Test! 🔍

Starch is a complex carbohydrate found in foods like potatoes, rice, and bread. It provides long-lasting energy for our body. But how do we know if a food contains starch? Let’s find out!

🔬 You’ll Need:
✔️ A dropper
✔️ Iodine solution (available in medical stores)
✔️ Different food samples (potato, rice, bread, apple, etc.)

🔎 Steps:
1️⃣ Take a small piece of food on a plate.
2️⃣ Add a few drops of iodine solution on it.
3️⃣ Observe the color change.

💡 What Happens?

• If starch is present, the food turns blue-black! 🖤
• If no starch is present, the color stays the same.

🍞 Test It! Try adding iodine to a potato and a boiled egg. Which one changes color? 🧐

💡 Did You Know? Starchy foods keep you full for longer and give you steady energy throughout the day! 🚀

🥚 2. Detecting Protein – The Biuret Test! 💪

Proteins are body-building nutrients that help in growth, repair, and muscle strength. They are found in foods like eggs, milk, pulses, and meat. Let’s check if a food contains protein!

🔬 You’ll Need:
✔️ A dropper
✔️ Biuret solution (or copper sulfate and sodium hydroxide)
✔️ Food samples (milk, dal, egg white, cheese, etc.)

🔎 Steps:
1️⃣ Take a small sample of food in a test tube or bowl.
2️⃣ Add a few drops of Biuret solution (or mix copper sulfate + sodium hydroxide).
3️⃣ Observe the color change.

💡 What Happens?

• If protein is present, the food turns purple or violet! 💜
• If no protein is present, the color remains unchanged.

🥚 Test It! Try adding Biuret solution to egg white and a potato. Which one turns purple? 🧐

💡 Did You Know? Your muscles, skin, and even hair are made up of proteins! Eating enough protein keeps you strong and healthy! 💪

🧐 3. Starch vs. Protein – What’s the Difference?

🧪 4. A Fun Experiment! 🎯

Let’s test different foods for both starch and protein and record the results!

🔬 You’ll Need:
✔️ A notebook and pen
✔️ Different food samples (potato, milk, egg, bread, dal)
✔️ Iodine solution & Biuret solution

🔎 Steps:
1️⃣ Test each food with iodine and Biuret solution.
2️⃣ Write down the color changes.
3️⃣ Find out which foods have starch, protein, or both!

💡 Example Observation Table:

🥇 Challenge: Can you find a food that has both starch and protein? Try testing milk or pulses! 🥛