Food Science B

[Dr BobR]

One other unreasonable limitation, in my estimation, is the MAXIMUM permissible size for the calorimeter. In the instructions, it sates that the calorimeter must "...fit in a 30 cm X 30 cm X 30 cm box", and that 10% of the Part 2 points will be deducted if the calorimeter exceeds that size. With the height of a pop can, plus the length of a (non-mercury) thermometer, plus the room needed for the food and whatever device is being used to hold the food, plus any device used to hold the thermometer steady, it is almost impossible to keep the total height within the 30 cm (approx 12 inches) limit.

[Jesusfather123]

Where can we study more about food grains ? Any pointers for studying?

[Jesusfather123]

Hi,
Do we have to study info regarding carbohydrates , lipids, Simple sugar,leaving agents etc which was there in last yr??

[dvegadvol]

Has anyone given any thought to the logisitics behind using the calorimeters in a school building? They're going to create smoke and if there are fifteen teams competing in one classroom/lab, there's going to be a whole lot of smoke produced and smoke detectors can't be turned off for an SO competition.

For the B Division, how many labs will have multiple vent hoods, let alone one vent hood to eliminate the smoke? My guess will be none.

Or are we going to take our calorimeters outside in Dec, Jan, Feb and Mar? In the snow, freezing rain and the wind? That should work wonders on our calibrations at room temperature.

[bob_the_unicorn]

What exactly are the rules referring to by "food grains"? Do they mean the actual biological makeup of the grains or the ingredients in processed foods with grains (bread, cake etc.)?

[dvegadvol]

Grains (cereals), pseudocereals and everything that is associated with them.

Their biology, chemistry, taxonomy, composition, structures, density, etc are all in play.

Along with any and all products made with them - flours, oils, animal feeds, baked goods, etc. all are in play. Along with leaveners, food additives, GMOs, gluten and gluten-free products.

[Jesusfather123]

Please can some one say what is needed to be prepared regarding food grains?

[Dr BobR]

I am a retired biochemistry/human nutrition college professor. I am "trying" to prepare our team (7th graders) for the exam portion by using modifications of my lecture notes that I used in my college lecture courses. I started with a discussion of the definition of a nutrient and the chemical/nutrient composition of food, followed by discussions of the structure and function of water, simple sugars (mono- and disaccharides), followed by oligo- and polysaccharides, amino acids and proteins, and lipids. These discussions involved numerous Power Point slides (the students each got a hard copy of the slides). I then cover the concept of energy derived from the macronutrients, grain structure and composition, gluten formation, aspects of baking with flour (including leavening agents), and end up with a few slides discussing chemical assay of protein, sugar, starch and lipid. Whether I have been able to get all, or any, of this information in an understandable manner to the kids remains to be seen. The challenge is getting the college level information down to a 7th grade level!

I hope this helps some out there who are wondering how to prepare, and where to start, for the Food Science portion.

[smurphy00]

Hi, I'm going to be supervising this event. I did it last year, but the topics are drastically different (dairy vs grains). Anyone who has taken a test for this year (or other event supervisors for this event!), typically how many lab tests (iodine, Benedict's, etc) does a student have to do, and typically what kind of foodstuff does a student have to measure with their calorimeter? Is a piece of bread okay to use? Thanks in advance

[Jesusfather123]

Any good websites / resource for studying about grain structure,composition?