Comparison of Carbohydrate, Photosynthetic, and Protein Data of Whole Foods and Processed Baby Foods

In our experiment we ran several tests on diluted solutions of processed baby food and fresh fruits and vegetables. During these experiments, we expect to discover whether or not there is a difference between the photosynthetic, protein, and carbohydrate content of homemade baby food and store-bought baby food. We used three different foods as our test groups: sweet potatoes, green beans, and bananas. After performing these tests, we should be able to determine whether there is a difference between the photosynthetic, enzyme, and carbohydrate content of the processed baby food and the homemade baby food. The tests that determined the carbohydrate content included Barfoed’s test for determining a monosaccharide, Bial’s test for identifying furanose rings, and the iodine test for the presence of starch. Then, we used the paper chromatography test to identify the pigments that are present, which should show us a difference between the photosynthetic content of each particular solution. And finally, we determined the enzyme makeup of the solutions by testing for PPO, or polyphenoloxidase, and we ran the Bradford Assay that shows the protein content of the fruits and vegetable. Our hypothesis was that there would be a significant difference when comparing certain properties between the homemade baby food and the processed baby food due mainly to processing mechanisms, but the results suggest there are no significant differences.