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Nutrition Science Projects - Learn about food and health
by Science Made Simple

Nutrition and Food Science Projects

vitamin c in fruit
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Citrus_fruits.jpg


Experiment 1: Do different varieties of the same fruit have the same level of vitamin C?

What about different brands of orange juice? Or fresh juice compared to juice from frozen concentrate? Does the way a fruit is stored or how long it is stored change the level of vitamin C?

Background Info:

Most birds and animals make their own vitamin C. But a few species, like people and guinea pigs, must get it from their food. Good sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit, strawberries, green peppers, broccoli and potatoes. Vitamin C is required for the body to make and maintain collagen, a protein. Collagen forms the base for all connective tissue in the body. If you don't have enough vitamin C in your diet, you might get the disease scurvy. Symptoms include loss of appetite, bleeding gums, loose teeth, swollen ankles and tiny hemorrhages (bleeding spots) in the skin.

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE: You will be handling potentially harmful chemicals. You must use safety equipment including chemical resistant gloves and eye protection. Follow all recommended safety warnings.

Find experimental procedure at:
https://www.education.com/science-fair/article/vitamin-c-in-fruit-juice/


Experiment 2: Are there different amounts of iron in different breakfast cereals?

The iron in ready-to-eat breakfast cereals is in the form called elemental, not in combination with any other chemical compound. Iron is sprayed on the outside of cereal flakes. You can separate the iron with a strong magnet.

Background Info:

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Iron is essential in a healthy diet to build blood. Iron is easiest to absorb from meat, fish and poultry.

Materials:

  1. A sensitive scale (like a laboratory scale). A bathroom scale won't cut it!
  2. various cereals
  3. plastic sandwich bags
  4. hot water
  5. wooden spoon
  6. 3-inch bar magnet that is not grey or black (so the iron filings will show up). Don't use a horseshoe magnet.

Procedure:

  1. Crush 1/2 cup of cereal in a baggie, until the flakes are half their original size. Pour into a bowl.
  2. Add 1 cup of hot water and mix with a wooden spoon.
  3. Put the magnet into the cereal mix and stir gently in a circle for a fixed amount of time, say 5 minutes. Try not to bump the bottom or sides of the bowl.
  4. Take out the magnet. Remove the iron filings that it pulled from the cereal, and weigh them on a laboratory scale.

Experiment 3: Are all apples equally sweet?

As apples ripen, the starch in the fruit changes to sugar, making the fruit sweet. What kind of sweet differences are there between apple varieties or individual apples of the same type?

Background Info:

Starch levels in apples can be measured by dipping a portion of the apple into an iodine solution. The starch reacts with the iodine solution to produce a blue-black color in a pattern that is characteristic for each variety of apple. For example, Red Delicious apples lose starch in a fairly even ring, while Golden Delicious apples have an uneven pattern.

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE: You will be handling potentially harmful chemicals. You must use safety equipment including chemical resistant gloves and eye protection. Follow all recommended safety warnings.

Find experimental procedures and images of starch - sugar patterns in apples at:
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/00-027.htm