A major challenge when designing new experiments for the general chemistry laboratory is introducing students to the necessary techniques while keeping the experiment engaging and accessible. This work presents a new multiweek activity designed to introduce students to advanced instrumentation in the form of high-performance liquid chromatography…

The amount of protein in complex matrices such as food products is an important characteristic, at both a nutritional and a pedagogical level. There are several methods available for protein quantification, from simple UV absorption to mass spectrometry. The most common are based on the interaction of the proteins with colored compounds followed…

Practical experiments enhance students' understanding of basic concepts and promote deep learning experiences in chemistry. The smartphone application of Lab4Chemistry was utilized to replace colorimeters with smartphone camera sensors. Low-cost and readily available materials, including anthocyanin (fresh red cabbage) and common kitchen…

Students quantified the protein content in beer, milk, powdered milk, and whey protein using the Bradford assay. The assay was carried out using absorbance measured at 595 nm (standard method) and 96-well-plate images (proposed method). They built analytical curves using bovine serum albumin (BSA) and casein and determined that protein type…

It began in 1869, and today we have 118 elements listed in the Periodic table, thanks to Mendeleev's work. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen are elements presented in many organic compounds. Some of them can exhibit photophysical and photochemical properties. Herein, we proposed an easy to make an experiment in chemistry classes to connect…

In the course of combining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the science education curriculum, the relevance of the micro- and macroalgae in education is based on the biotechnological future-oriented significance and the ever-growing trend toward plant-based nutrition. So, the micro- and macroalgae are finding their way onto the food…

Red onion, "Allium cepa," juice can dye a cloth sample green upon the addition of alum, aluminum potassium sulfate, and this sample can turn red when subjected to an acidic solution. When the red-colored sample is washed with a neutral or alkaline aqueous solution, its color turns green again. These experiments illustrate color changes…

Four experiments examined Canadian 2- to 3-year-old children's (N = 224; 104 girls, 120 boys) thoughts about shared preferences. Children saw sets of items, and identified theirs and another person's preferences. Children expected that food preferences would be more likely to be shared than color preferences, regardless of whether the items were…

Light spectrum dispersion is an exciting subject in science because of its beautiful atmospheric colour phenomenon which attracts students. However, to see the phenomenon is not easy since it needs a spectrometer, which is commonly expensive. Therefore, the present study aims to describe a low-cost spectrometer for investigating lighting spectrum…

Stimulating interest in science at an early age is important for STEM education. This work details an educational activity utilizing the anthocyanins found in butterfly pea flowers ("Clitoria ternatea"). This activity was developed for use in official classroom settings, online, and/or at-home with parental or educator guidance. Primary…

A quantitative titration of the amount of magnesium hydroxide in milk of magnesia using only items purchased in grocery and retail stores is reported. Either vinegar or a solution of food grade citric acid serves as the titrant, while food dyes advertised as being extracted from natural sources provide the end-point indicator. An inexpensive,…

This article describes a simple way to introduce nanomaterials using the presence of carbon nanodots (CNDs) in widely available food. Budweiser® beer and Coca-Cola®, commercial foods that are commonly accessible, were utilized to demonstrate the optical property of nanoparticles. Specifically, green and violet laser pointers were employed for the…

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the separation of the primary colors of ink markers and food coloring was performed using a simplified column chromatography setup at home to accomplish the educational outcome of the course. The virtual class instruction, for the students enrolled in the "Organic Techniques Laboratory"…

The objectives of this study are to investigate verbal and visual semiotic resources employed as well as the cultural aspects embedded in the online soft drink advertisements. The data of this study was selected from the U.S. official soft drink brand Coca-Cola Instagram account (@cocacola), and a total of 58 advertisements were analyzed. Three…

A 4-week mini-project is proposed for an experimental Physical Chemistry course applied in Food Science training. Activities include preparation of beet extract for the extraction of betanins and analysis of the kinetics of betanins in thermal degradation at three temperatures (60, 70, and 80 ºC). In addition to developing common laboratory…