Concepts for further analysis:

1. In your own words, explain how photosynthesis works to create sugar inside the plant.

2. List the functions of sugar in food.

3. In detail, explain the following:

a. crystallization
b. caramelization
c. browning reactions
d. hygroscopy

4. Various types of sugar are available on the market. Describe the major characteristics of each of the following:
• table sugar
• turbinado
• powdered sugar
• brown sugar
• corn syrup
• high fructose corn syrup
• molasses
• honey
• maple syrup

5. You are a baker and have been asked by one of your customers to identify the "sweetest sweetener" compared to sucrose. What would you tell your customer? Could you use it in a baked product?

6. You have baked your neighbor a birthday cake, but you omitted the sugar. What can you expect from your cake? (Refer to some of the functions of sugar for this answer.)

7. What is a dextrose equivalent (DE), and how is the DE value of a substance determined?

8. What is a sugar alcohol? How does it compare to sucrose in sweetness and calorie amount? Where do they come from?

9. Give several examples of nonnutritive, high intensity, or alternate sweeteners available in the food supply. In what foods are they used?

10. After reviewing the definitions and explanations of the alternate sweeteners, explain potential controversy and safety of these sweeteners.

11. Describe ways to prevent crystallization when heating sugar solutions.

12. Explain the process of producing High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). Explain recent research that raises concerns about the health of this product.

13. Explain the process of creating either:
• maple syrup
• honey

Vocabulary for a better understanding: Choose only 5 and write the difinition your own words:

supersaturated solution
crystallization
caramelization
hygroscopic
invert sugar
reducing sugar
nonenzymatic browning
cocrystallization
dextrose
nonnutritive sweeteners
dextrose equivalent