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Food Science Science Fair Project

Gas Production in Fresh vs. Processed Foods

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Gas Production in Fresh vs. Processed Foods | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Do canned and frozen vegetables release more gas than fresh ones during digestion? Processing changes the structure of food. That may change how much gas forms when acids break it down. You grind up samples of four foods in fresh and frozen and canned forms. Each sample goes into a test tube with vinegar to simulate digestion. A balloon stretched over the top captures any gas produced. After eight hours of gentle heat you measure each balloon's width. The results show whether processing increases gas production compared to fresh foods.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that processed foods will produce gases.

Method & Materials

You will compare fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, simulate digestion with vinegar and heat, and measure the amount of gas generated with a balloon.
You will need fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, vinegar, heat, and a balloon.

Results

The results show that processed foods do produce a small amount of gas. The processed corn and string beans did produce a small amount of gas.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it shows how processed foods can produce gas, even when exposed to heat and vinegar.

Also Consider

Variations to consider include testing different types of processed foods, or testing different temperatures and amounts of vinegar.

Full project details

Additional information and source material for this project are available below.

Related video

These videos explain the science behind this project and demonstrate key concepts used in the experiment.
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