1. Unit 9: Organic Composition of Food
CH. 8 SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES

2. Fun Facts More than 50% of earth’s Biomass is made of carbohydrates
Carbs provide 55%-80% of calorie needs for humans
The United States has one of the lowest carbohydrate intakes compared to people of other countries

3. What are Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates – compounds composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen that provide energy for all living things
2 categories of Carbohydrates: Simple and Complex
Examples) bread, pasta, glucose etc.

4. Plant Carbohydrates Most carbohydrates are manufactured by plants
Plants create carbohydrates through the process of photosynthesis
Photosynthesis – conversion of light energy to chemical energy

5. Plant Carbohydrates Continued…
All plants use photosynthesis for growth and energy storage
Initially, all carbohydrates produced in plants are in the form of glucose (a simple sugar), but can be converted to starch or fiber (complex carbs)

7. Monosaccharides Monosaccharide - Single sugar
( mono = one sacchar = sugar)
Examples: sugars usually end in -ose
a. glucose – C6H12O6 -- most common, in every cell – produced by green plants
b. fructose -- C6H12O sugar in fruits
c. galactose -- C6H12O sugar in milk
Notice the difference in the glucose ring structure & the galactose ring structure. This difference in ring structure changes the characteristics of the sugar and how it will respond in food preparation.

8. Disaccharides Disaccharide – double sugar (di=two)
Chemical reaction: 2 monosaccharides joined together to make a disaccharide
glucose fructose sucrose water
C6H12O C6H12O C12H22O H2O
Examples:
Sucrose – cane sugar (table sugar)
Lactose – milk sugar

9. When small molecules combine, water is released – Dehydration Synthesis
Hydrolysis – large molecules are broken apart with the addition of water.
Used in Digestion

10. Hydrolysis 3 conditions trigger Hydrolysis Presence of an enzyme
Addition of an acid
Addition of heat
Digestion of sugar involves the use of the enzyme sucrase which is found in saliva.
Lactose free milk is produced by adding an enzyme to hydrolyze the sugar
As you chew carbohydrates, they become sweeter because sucrase is breaking down the carb in the mouth.

11. Nutrition Labels
Each sweetener is listed separately on the ingredient list
Total carbohydrates are listed under the nutrition facts

12. Nutrition Labels
Learn to recognize the names of sugars on food labels to help you be more aware of the amount of sugar you consume
According the American Heart Association women should consume 25 grams of sugar a day, and men 37 grams of sugar daily

13. Alcohols
Sugar or starch can be used to create ethanol, an alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, because of the similarity in structure.
Bad batches of “moonshine” have been known to cause permanent nerve damage, blindness & death due to the presence of methanol
Alcohols can be used as additives that are sweet – mannitol, sorbitol, & xylitol

14. Sources of Sugar Common sugars used as food ingredients –
Granulated/Brown/Confectioners sugar
Honey
Corn Syrup
Molasses
Maple Syrup
Food companies often use several sugars/sweeteners in a single food product.
Turbinado sugar – light brown sugar. Less refined

15. Granulated Sugar vs Confectioner’s Sugar
Granulated Sugar: More processed than brown sugar leaving only the crystalline substance.
Ex: table sugar
Confectioner’s Sugar: granulated sugar that has been ground into a fine powder. Most has cornstarch added to help prevent caking during storage.

16. Brown Sugar
Sugar that has not been completely refined – a mixture of sugar and molasses
Light brown sugar: delicate flavor due to less molasses
Dark brown sugar: stronger flavor due to more molasses
Used in baking where the additional coloring and flavoring are desirable

17. Honey First sweetener to be used in food preparation
Honey producers can place hives near different fields of large plants that can affect the flavor of the honey
Orange blossom honey: created near orange grooves
Clover honey: created near fields of clover

18. Corn Syrup Processed by hydrolyzing cornstarch into glucose
High Fructose Corn Syrup: A sweeter version of corn syrup that is found in many products such as soft drinks, candy, and baked goods.
Produced by using enzymes to convert glucose to fructose.
Beneficial to use corn for sugar because it is the most plentiful crop in the U.S. keeping the food processing prices stable

19. Molasses Crude, boiled liquid pressed from sugar cane
Can be found in gingerbread cake, gingersnap cookies, and shoofly pie.
Shoofly pie – made with molasses and crumb topping. Called shoofly because it would attract flies b/c its so sweet

20. Maple Syrup Concentrated sap of sugar maple trees
It takes 40 gallons of tree sap, slowly simmered, to make one gallon of maple syrup
Many Americans have not tasted true maple syrup because the cost is so high.
Most pancake syrups are only 2% maple syrup or less; the main ingredient is corn syrup

21. Functions of Simple Sugar in Food Preparation
Sugars have 6 functions they perform in food products
Sweeteners
Preservatives
Tenderizers
Crystallization
Caramelization
Fermentation

22. 1. Sweetener Main function of sugar
The simpler the structure of the sugar molecule, the sweeter the sugar
Perceived sweetness also increases as the length of the bonding process on the taste bud increases.

23. 2. Preservatives Sugar helps prevent food spoilage.
Water will be drawn to sugar molecules before it is given to bacteria, causing bacteria to dehydrate and die in concentrated sugar solutions. This is why sugar is the only preservative in jams and syrups
Sugar also helps baked goods, like cake, to stay moist and fresher longer

24. 3. Tenderizers
When sugar is added to dough, it will tenderize the product.
Can view the effects when taste testing an Italian hard roll (with no sugar added) with white bread

25. 4. Crystallizing Agents
Sugars are used a crystallizing agents in candy
Candy is made when sugar crystals separate from a supersaturated solution during cooling.
The finer the sugar crystals are, the higher the candy’s quality will be

26. 5. Caramelizing Agents
Caramelization - subjecting sugar to high or prolonged heat changing it into a brown liquid.
Responsible for the brown crust on baked goods and toast & gives distinctive color and flavor of caramel candy

27. 6. Fermenting Agents
Fermentation is involved in making wines, beers, and yeast breads
Sugar acts as a food supply for the microorganisms (yeast) used to make these food products

28. Nutritional Value of Sugar
All sugars produce 4 Calories per gram when digested. This is used to fuel the body’s functions – thinking, moving, etc.
Simple sugars are absorbed in the blood and move to the liver. The glucose that is not immediately needed is converted to glycogen

29. Nutritional Value of Sugar
Glycogen – storage of sugar in animals. Found in the muscles and liver. When energy is needed, glycogen is broken down.
During intense physical activity the body can use up to 1/5th of the total glycogen stores in 20 minutes.

30. Health Concerns Related to Sugar
Tooth Decay – bacteria in the mouth feed on sugars and produce a sticky film called plaque. This leads to dissolving of tooth enamel and cavities
Diabetes Mellitus – inability to move glucose from the blood to the cells. Insulin is either not produced enough or the body fails to recognize its presence.
Weight Gain – all excess calories, whether from sugar, protein or fat, will be stored as fat.