Carbohydrates Flashcards
What are carbohydrates
Diverse class of compounds in all cells
What is the typical formula for monosaccharides
CnH2nOn
What is the typical formula for larger carbohydrates
CnH2n-2xOn-x where x is the number of glycosidic bonds present
What three elements are carbohydrates composed of
Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
What technical roles can carbohydrates play in food manufacture and processing
Texture, viscosity, flavour, colour formation and bulking
What three ways can carbohydrates be classified
Chain length, number of carbons per monomer and digestible vs non-digestible
What is the chain length of the carbohydrates responsible for/determine
Behaviour of carbohydrate
What does the number of carbons determine
Application of sugar in biological source
How many kcal/g are in digestible carbohydrates
3.75-4kcal/g
What is the difference in metabolism between glucose and fructose
Glucose is used in most cells and is insulin mediated while fructose is metabolised by the liver and bypasses some glycolysis steps
What us fructose associated with in the body
Increased VLDL cholesterol and reduced insulin response
How are digestible carbohydrates absorbed
Larger carbohydrates e.g oligo and polysaccharides are enzymically degraded into sugar monomers
What is the Glycaemic index
The rate at which sugar is absorbed from food
What is the difference between High GI and low GI foods
High are rapidly absorbed and result in a sugar spike while low GI require greater digestion before sugars are absorbed
What are high GI foods associated with
Snacking behaviour, high blood sugar and increased insulin response
What are nutrition claims
Claims that relate to the specific composition of a food
What is the low sugar nutrition claim in the UK
No more than 5g/100g in solid and no more than 2.5g/100gmL in liquid foods
What is the sugar free nutrition claim in the UK
No more than 0.5g/100g in solids and no more than 0.5g/100mL in liquid foods
What is the no added sugars nutrition claim in the UK
Does not contain any added mono or disaccharides or any other food used for its sweetening properties
What should naturally present sugars be labelled with
Contains naturally occurring sugars
What is the nutrition claim for sources of fibre
At least 3g/100g or 1.5g/100kcal
What is the nutrition claim for high fibre
At least 6g/100g or 3g/100kcal
Why is it beneficial for manufacturers to receive a nutrition claim
Demonstrates improved nutrition vs competitors