# 3-1 Kitchen Chemistry/Biology

Search your kitchen for food and the chemicals that are found in your food. List three different chemicals found as part of or in your foods, spice or specific compounds used as cooking ingredients which can be found in your kitchen. If possible, list compounds that others in the class have not already. This may be "trickier" than it looks... hint, do not list plant parts like "peanuts", "mint leaves", "tomatoes", etc. that are themselves made of many chemicals. You can list a chemical component found within peanuts or tomatoes, etc. For each chemical you list, (1) what food was it in or associated with, (2) is it "organic" or "inorganic" (using the correct chemical definitions), and if it is organic, (3) is it "protein", "lipid", "carbohydrate", "nucleic acid", or some "other" organic chemical. Also, briefly describe your kitchen search experience in completing this blog assignment. (How did you find and determine the chemicals you listed.)

#1 sodium aluminum sulfate - (NH4Al(SO4)2·12H2O - an inorganic acid

* I found this chemical compound in baking powder. Its purpose is to chemically react with monocalcium phosphate (also in baking powder). The desired effect of that reaction is the production of carbon dioxide gas; these gases get stuck in the batter as air pockets, creating baked goods that rise and are fluffy.

#2 disodium phosphate - Na2HPO4 - inorganic compound

* This is an ingredient in Jello pudding. It has the following characteristics: transparent crystals, soluble in water, controls pH in the range 4-9 and provides stability.

#3 propylene glycol - CH3CHOHCH2OH organic compound (a diol alcohol)

* Although I found this specifically in food coloring, upon my research I found out, it is used in many products:
As a moisturizer in medicines, cosmetics, food, toothpaste, mouth wash, and tobacco products
As a medical and sexual lubricant (A.K.A. "personal lubricant")
As an emulsification agent in angostura and orange bitters
As a solvent for food colors and flavorings
As a humectant food additive, labeled as E number E1520
As a carrier in fragrance oils
As a less-toxic antifreeze
As a solvent used in mixing photographic chemicals, such as film developers
In smoke machines to make artificial smoke
In electronic cigarettes to make the produced vapor better resemble cigarette smoke
In hand sanitizers, antibacterial lotions, and saline solutions
In cryonics As a working fluid in hydraulic presses
To regulate humidity in a cigar humidor
As the killing and preserving agent in pitfall traps, usually used to capture ground beetles
To treat livestock ketosis
As the main ingredient in deodorant sticks.

I somewhat randomly choose my items; then looked at the ingredients and picked the ones I thought were most interesting to be found in food products. The most interesting in my opinion is propylene glycol. I knew this compound is used as an anti-freeze and to see it as an ingredient in food bewildered me. As you read it is used in many products but what really catches my eye is that it is also used as a killing agent in pitfall traps.

Anybody up for some cake icing? Who wants to lick the bowl?

Source: www.answers.com