Hello all steemians. On this opportunity i want to share to you about a simple experiment that we can try it at home or with your student if you are teacher in the school. Here lets we lets we learn together about How To Identify Borax On Food Sample.
Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid. Powdered borax is white, consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water. A number of closely related minerals or chemical compounds that differ in their crystal water content are referred to as borax, but the word is usually used to refer to the decahydrate. Commercially sold borax is partially dehydrated. Source
Wet foods, such as noodles, meatballs, and tofu, which contain relatively high water content tend to be less durable. Storage at room temperature for more than 36 hours will cause decay by bacteria or fungi. For that, usually producers of these ingredients add preservatives to the manufacturing process.
One of the preservatives commonly used by producers is borax. In addition to preservatives, borax is also used to improve the appearance of foodstuffs. The price is cheap, causing the use of borax rampant in the market. In contrast to formalin, the borax toxicity contained in the food is not directly perceived by consumers.
Borax contained in the food will be absorbed by the body and stored cumulatively in the liver, brain, or testes (testicles), so that the doses of borax in the body becomes high. Long-term effects, accumulation of borax will cause dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea and even death.
What are we need to taste it?
Tools and materials
Tools
- Spiritus burner
- Porselein crushed
- Tang crucifix
- Tripod
- Porselein triangle
- Mortar
- Drop pipette
Materials
- Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) concentrated
- Methanol (spiritus)
- Food samples
A. Work procedures
Flame test
- Take a little food sample (about 2 grams) then cut into small pieces.
- Insert into porselein crucible and heat until the food sample becomes charcoal.
- The food sample that has become charcoal is crushed until it becomes powder in mortar.
- Powder is put back into porselein crucible then added 5 drops of sulfuric acid and 1 mL of methanol.
- Burn the sample.
- If the flame is green, there is certainly borax on the food sample.
Organoleptic Test
- Organoleptic test can only be done on meatballs and the like.
- Take samples of meatballs, then throw them to the table or floor.
- Observe the reflection. If the reflection is relatively high, it is likely that the sample contains borax.
- Flame test is required as confirmation of the existence of borax on food samples.
Observation Data
Question
- What is the function of adding borax to food?
- Do a flame test on other food samples!
- Could the use of borax be replaced by other materials that are relatively safe to health? Explain!
- Make a report of the results of the experiment and present the results in front of the class!
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