To test if starch is present in a food sample, you should use an iodine solution as the reagent. When iodine solution is added to a food sample containing starch, it will change color from brown or yellow-brown to a distinctive blue-black. This color change is a clear indicator that starch is present in the sample
. Summary of the procedure:
- Add a few drops of iodine solution to your food sample.
- Observe the color change.
- Blue-black : Starch is present.
- No color change (remains brown/yellow) : Starch is absent
Any standard iodine solution, such as Lugol’s iodine, can be used for this test
. This method is widely used in biology and food science labs due to its simplicity and reliability.
