MadSci Network: Chemistry |
No, unfortunately. There are so many types of carbohydrates in foods that it is not possible to test for them in one simple assay. In fact, in many instances, chemists measure fat, protein, water and fiber and then calculate carbohydrates "by difference." That is, the difference between the sum of those constituents and 100 is the carbohydrate. If you want to measure the sugar content of a drink or a juice (or the juice of a fruit), you can do so with a device called a refractometer. Hand held versions of refractometers are available and are used by many fruit producers to be sure they are harvesting their fruits at their peak sweetness. Called "degrees Brix," it is a measure of the concentration of pure sucrose in solution. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brix
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