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Food Science Science Fair Project

Sugar Profiles in Apple Juice Brands

Hard
Sugar Profiles in Apple Juice Brands | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Do all apple juice brands contain the same sugars? Labels list ingredients by weight, but you can verify them with lab instruments. This experiment compares the sugar composition of name-brand juices and juice blends. Use a high-pressure liquid chromatograph (HPLC) to separate and identify the sugars in each sample. Use a refractometer to measure total dissolved sugar. Test brands like Martinelli's and Tree Top alongside store-brand juices. The HPLC data shows what fraction of each blend is apple juice versus other fruits. In one trial, "premium" apple juices had higher sugar because they were fresh-squeezed rather than reconstituted from concentrate.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that in the studied juice blends, there will be a higher percentage of apple juice than any of the other fruit juices present. Additionally, I hypothesize that all the brands of pure apple juice will be labeled accurately and correctly.

Method & Materials

You will go to the store and buy different brands of apple juice and juice blends. Then you will use a High Pressure Liquid Chromatograph and an Automatic Refractometer to measure the sugar content of each juice.
You will need 5 mL of the different juices, a pair of scissors, 9 HPLC vials, 9 HPLC vial lids, 9 disposable glass pipettes, 1 pipette bulb, 1 carousel, 1 High Pressure Liquid Chromatograph, 9 straws, and 1 Automatic Refractometer.

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Results

The results of this experiment showed that the juice blends were mostly made of apple juice and that the unknown brands of apple juice had a higher total sugar content than the brand names of apple juice. This suggests that the manufacturers are labeling their products correctly.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it helps us to understand if the manufacturers are labeling their products correctly.

Also Consider

Experiment variations to consider include testing different types of juices, such as orange juice, or testing different brands of the same type of juice.

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.
High performance liquid chromatography is done on special equipment that can pick up small differences in sugar!
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