TITLE : PRODUCTION OF GUMMY CANDIES FROM SPINACH

LIST OF MEMBER:

NAME
NURUL FAHADIS BT MOHAMMAD YUSOFF

MATRIC NUMBER
D20141066892

AIN SOFEA SYAHIRAH BINTI MAHADI

D20141066891

LIM LEE WEN

D20141066909

MOHAMMAD ALIF BIN AZMI MURAT

D20141066890

WONG PUI YEE

D20141066893

ABSTRACT
The project is about the analysis of concentration iron in spinach on the production of
gummy candies as supplement for those who usually not consume vegetable to get the iron
for their body development. Due to its high iron rich nature, the spinach is selected for our
gummy candy product. The amount of iron required for the children is higher than the
amount of iron required for the adult. There is no difference between the absorbance value of
the gummy candies made with spinach and raw spinach because iron are not destroyed by
heat. Gummy was produce using the spinach extract and gelatine as the main source. The
standard solution is prepare by using 0.001M Fe(NO3)3 in HCL with 2.5mL of 0.1 M KSCN.
The spinach of 2.6g gives the same absorbance value as 0.955mM/L of 0.001M Fe(NO 3)3 ,the
2.6g of spinach is determined to have 0.09mg of iron Fe 3+ measure using spectrometer at
absorbance 458nm. Hence, 100g of spinach will give 3.46mg of iron. 250g of spinach was
used, in which 70 cubes of candy were produced. This makes one cube contains 0.12mg of
iron. To reach the optimum intake of child at 9-13 years, they must take 66 cubes per day to
get 8mg iron. To get a feedback, the gummy were distributed for trial to 33 respondent, most
of them which is 33% think the candy is tasty. However, 36% which is 12 of them want to buy
this products. They mostly will buy it because of the usefulness and taste of the product which
they have deemed satisfying.
Keywords : Spinach, Gummy Candies, Standard Solution, Iron Concentration

INTRODUCTION
In this experiment, the first objective is to produce a gummy candies by using
spinach. Secondly, is to determine the concentration of iron in spinach. Lastly, to get the
feedback from respondent on the taste and their willingness to buy this product. The gummy
candies was produce from the gelatine and spinach extract as the main source and added with
milk to reduced the taste and smell of spinach. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is an
edible flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae native to central and western Asia. It is
one of the most iron rich vegetable in the world. The website provided the info that 100g of
boiled spinach contains 36mg of iron. Iron is simply an element, so it cannot be destroyed by
cooking (or generally temperature changes), as vitamins and other organic structures
potentially can. We hypothesized that there is no difference between the absorbance value of
the gummy candies made with spinach and raw spinach. Iron is a mineral that is naturally
present in many foods, added to some food products, and available as a dietary supplement.
Iron is an essential component of haemoglobin, an erythrocyte protein that transfers oxygen
from the lungs to the tissues. Iron is also necessary for growth, development, normal cellular
functioning, and synthesis of some hormones and connective tissue.
MATERIAL
0.001 M Fe(NO3)3
0.1 M KSCN
0.1 M HCl
2.0 M HCl
Distilled water
Spinach
crucible
ring stand, ring,
Bunsen burner
funnel
filter paper
beakers
20x150 mm test tubes/test tube rack
Spectrophotometer

Cuvettes
Cream of tartar
Spinach
Corn syrup /powdered sugar
Food colouring
Gelatine
Salt
Cold water
Gummy mold
Measuring cup
Blender
Filter/ cheesecloth
METHODS
Preparing the standard solutions
1.

The following solutions is prepared in five test tubes. Each was mixed thoroughly with a
stirring rod.

2.

Test

0.001 M

0.1 M HCL

Concentration

Tube

Fe(NO3)3 (mL)

(mL)

(mM/L)

20

0.00

15

0.25

10

10

0.50

15

0.75

20

1.00

Mixed 2.5 mL of 0.1 M KSCN is added to each test tube. A red colour was seen from the
formation of the FeSCN2+ ion.

Preparing the food samples

1.

About 2.6g of the spinach are weighed out and placed in a crucible.

2.

The crucible was being heated with a hot burner flame until the food sample turned to
ash approximately 5-20 minutes depending on the food sample used.

3.

Once cool, the burner are removed and the ash allowed to cooled was transferred to a
small beaker.

4.

10 mL of 2.0 M HCl was added and carefully stir for one minute. 10 mL of distilled
water is added and the solution was stir agained.

5.

The mixture was filtered and the filtrate was collected. 2.5 mL of 0.1 M KSCN was
added and mixed well.

6.

The absorbance value was found by used a spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 458

nm.

7.

Each standard solution and food solution were placed into a separate cuvette.

8.

The absorbance of each solution is measured and recorded.

Preparation of corn syrup

1.

2 cup of white sugar, cup of water, teaspoon cream of tartar and 1 pinch of salt was
added in a large saucepan.

2.

Bring to a boil, stir constantly.

3.

Heat are reduced to a simmer and put cover for 3 minutes to get sugar crystals off the
sides of the pan. Uncover and simmer, stir until it reached the soft ball stage.

4.

Stored in a covered container at room temperature when it had cooled.

Preparation of gummy candies

1.

250g spinach are chopped into small pieces was placed into blender with 390g of daily
milk is added inside to make a concentrated spinach juice extract.

2.

Blend using the highest speed until the material are thoroughly ground.

3.

The ground extract was strained and strained are poured into beaker.

4.

To make a gummy, cup of corn syrup is added into 2 cup cold water in a jar then the
solution are mixed well until water completely clear. Cold water help the jelly separated
properly while corn syrup make the gummy smooth texture at room temperature.

5.

The vegetable juice was poured in a pot. 100g of gelatine and 8g agar powder are added.

6.

Let sit for 1 minute for gelatine soften, then both solution are mixed into pot.

7.

At medium low heat, the solution was stir the slowly until all the jelly dissolved.

8.

Let it boil, until it looks like the bubbles are having real difficulty exiting the mixture.

9.

Spoon mixture into lightly oiled mold.

10. It are allowed to cooled in refrigerator for 3 hours after it become solid, then was

removed from mold.

11. Optional: lightly coat with powdered sugar/corn starch/a mix there of (depending on
desired sweetness). This keeps the gummies from sticking together.
Optional: Corn starch and paintbrush (to keep the gummies from sticking to one another)

RESULTS
Concentration of 0.001M
Fe(NO3)3
Absorbance value

0
0.129

0.25
0.181

0.5
0.503

0.75
0.924

1
1.347

Best Fit Line

f(x) = 1.25x
f(x) = 0.81 ln(x) + 1.22

Standard solution graph

2.6g of spinach is used to make the testing food sample. The absorbance value of food
sample, is 1.19. According to the standard solution graph, y=1.2463x, when absorbance value
is 1.19, the concentration of food sample is 0.995.
Calculation
First, find mg/L of 0.001M Fe(NO3)3
[Molar mass of Fe(NO3)3, nonahydrate, is 403.999g/mol]
Let A be, 0.001M of Fe(NO3)3 ,

To find its molar mass = 0.001 x 403.999g/mol

= 0.404g/mol
= 404mg/mol
0.955mM/L = (9.55 x 10-4) M/L
For mass in 0.955mM/L of A, the answer is
(9.55 x 10-4) M/L x 404g/mol
= 0.38582mg
= 0.39mg (2d.p.)
Since the spinach of 2.6g gives the same absorbance value as 0.955mM/L of 0.001M
Fe(NO3)3 , the 2.6g of spinach is determined to have 0.09mg of iron Fe3+. After the calculation
was made, 100g of spinach will give 3.46mg of iron.

Figure 1: standard solution

Figure 2: production of gummies candy

Figure 3: production of gummies candy

figure 4: Spinacia gummy candies

Feedback
Taste of gummy candies
1 Very not tasty
2 Not Tasty
3 Okay
4 Tasty
5 Very tasty
Rate
1
2
3
4
5

Number of respondent
0 0%
4 (12%)
9 (27%)
11 (33%)
9 (27%)

Number of respondent

Number of respondent

33 respondent had gave their feedback. Most of them which is 33% think the candy is tasty
which is 11 person while 27% which is 9 of them think the candy is very tasty. 9 person
(27%) think the candy tasted okay. Only 4 person which is 12% of respondent think the
candy is not tasty. All in all, the taste of candy product is acceptable. Some feedback were
that they were satisfied with the sweetness of the candy. However, some remark that the taste
of vegetable is too heavy. Some comments suggest that the candy should have more fine
texture and reduce the taste of vegetable.
Willingness to buy
1 Very not willing
2 Not willing
3 Okay
4 Willing
5 Very willing
Rate
1
2
3
4
5

Number of respondent
1 (3%)
5 (15%)
12 (36%)
9 (27%)
6 (18%)

Based on the feedback from 33 respondents, 36% which is 12 of them are okay on buying the
products. 27% which is 9 of them is willing to buy whereas 18% of them (6 person) are very
willing to buy it. They mostly will buy it because of the usefulness and taste of the product
which they have deemed satisfying. 15% (5 person) and 3% (1 person) are not willing and
not very willing to buy this product separately. This is mostly due to the taste and their need
of the products.

DISCUSSION
Iron Diet
In this experiment, we would like to choose spinach as a main source to make a
gummy. This is an effective way to attract adults and children especially to get iron source

from the vegetable. This gummy is a best supplement they can take in daily nutrient because
it is so sweet like a candy. Furthermore, iron in this gummy is very important for their
development process.
Iron is a mineral that is naturally present in many foods, added to some food products,
and available as a dietary supplement. Iron is an essential component of haemoglobin, which
is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in the red blood cells of all vertebrates
(with the exception of the fish family Channichthyidae) as well as the tissues of some
invertebrates. As a component of myoglobin, a protein that provides oxygen to muscles, iron
supports metabolism. Iron is also necessary for growth, development, normal cellular
functioning, and synthesis of some hormones and connective tissue .You can enhance your
body's absorption of iron by drinking citrus juice or eating other foods rich in vitamin C at the
same time that you eat high-iron foods.
Dietary iron has two main forms: heme and nonheme. Plants and iron-fortified foods
contain nonheme iron only, whereas meat, seafood, and poultry contain both heme and
nonheme iron . Heme iron, which is formed when iron combines with protoporphyrin IX,
contributes about 10% to 15% of total iron intakes in western populations. However, it is to
be found that, the absorption of non-heme iron can be higher than the one of heme iron
through the aiding consumption of Vitamin C.
Deficiency of iron can lead to symptoms like headache, fatigue, dizziness, and iron
deficiency anemia. It may also include brittle nails, swelling or soreness of the tongue, cracks
in the sides of the mouth, an enlarged spleen, and frequent infections. People who have irondeficiency anemia may have an unusual craving for nonfood items, such as ice, dirt, paint, or
starch. This craving is called pica (PI-ka or PE-ka). Iron-deficiency anemia can put children
at greater risk for lead poisoning and infections.
The following table shows the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for iron.

Dietary supplements
Iron is available in many dietary supplements. Multivitamin/multimineral
supplements with iron, especially those designed for women, typically provide 18 mg iron
(100% of the DV). Multivitamin/multimineral supplements for men or seniors frequently
contain less or no iron. Iron-only supplements usually deliver more than the DV, with many
providing 65 mg iron (360% of the DV).
Frequently used forms of iron in supplements include ferrous and ferric iron salts,
such as ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, ferric citrate, and ferric sulfate. Because of its
higher solubility, ferrous iron in dietary supplements is more bioavailable than ferric iron.
High doses of supplemental iron (45 mg/day or more) may cause gastrointestinal side effects,
such as nausea and constipation. Other forms of supplemental iron, such as heme iron
polypeptides, carbonyl iron, iron amino-acid chelates, and polysaccharide-iron complexes,
might have fewer gastrointestinal side effects than ferrous or ferric salts.
The using of spinach in making food product
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is an edible flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae native
to central and western Asia. It is one of the most iron rich vegetable in the world. The website
provided the info that 100g of boiled spinach contains 36mg of iron. Our result obtains that
100g of the burned spinach contains 34.5mg of iron. The result is derived from the other
data, most probably due to the deviation in the procedure of experiment, or that the spinach

from different area contains a different range of iron. Due to its high iron rich nature, the
spinach is selected for our gummy candy product.
The testing of iron in food sample
The 0.0001M Fe(NO3)3 solution is mixed with the 0.1M KSCN solution to create a standard
solution be used in the spectrometer absorbance value checking. The KSCN solution are be
able to combine with the Ferric (III) Nitrate to form a colour ranged from yellow to dark red
through the following equation.
Fe3+ + SCN- = Fe(SCN)2A higher amount of ferric (III) nitrate or KSCN will let the solution equation foes to the left,
causing a deeper colour to develop, which can be inspected by the spectrometer. The HCl is
used to bind with the free Fe2+ in the solution to create more accurate result.
The Beer-Lambert Law plots the curve of absorbance value against the concentration of
0.001M Fe(NO3)3, where the line starts from the x,y (0,0). And the absorbance value of food
sample used can be found by using the standard graph.
The gummy candy product
To produce gummy candies product, 250g of spinach was used, in which 70 cubes of candy
were produced. This makes one cube contains 0.12mg of iron. To reach the optimum intake
of child at 9-13 years, they must take 66 cubes per day to get 8mg iron. In our further
research, it is to be suggested that the concentration of spinach used in the production of
spinach can be increased. If 1kg of spinach which gives 3.45g iron is used in the production
of 70 candy cubes, a male adult which have to take 8mg iron a day, can take just 5~6 cubes
per day, which is the same with the children.

References
Wessling-Resnick M, Ross AC, Caballero B, Cousins RJ, Tucker KL, Ziegler RG. (2014),
Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams &
Wilkins (11th Ed.), 176-88.
Aggett PJ, Erdman JW, Macdonald IA, Zeisel SH. (2012), Present Knowledge in Nutrition.
Washington, DC: Wiley-Blackwell (10th Ed.), 506-20.
Baker RD, Greer FR. (2010), Diagnosis and prevention of iron deficiency and iron-deficiency
anemia in infants and young children (0-3 years of age). Pediatrics, 126:1040-50.
Gillooly M, Bothwell TH, Torrance JD, MacPhail AP, Derman DP, Bezwoda WR. (1983),
The effects of organic acids, phytates and polyphenols on the absorption of iron from
vegetables. Br J Nutr, 49:331-42.
Bailey RL, Gahche JJ, Lentino CV, Dwyer JT, Engel JS, Thomas PR, (2011), Dietary
supplement use in the United States, 2003-2006. J Nutr, 141:261-6.
Blanck HM, Cogswell ME, Gillespie C, Reyes M. (2005), Iron supplement use and iron
status among US adults: results from the third National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey. Am J Clin Nutr, 82:1024-31.
Iron Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet (November 24, 2015) Retrieved from URL
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Iron-Deficiency Anemia? (March 26, 2014) Retrieved
from URL http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/ida/signs
Iron (September 09, 2014) Retrieved from URL https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/iron

NAME

RESPONSIBILITY
Prepared the lab manual for experiment
Booking date for experiment and apparatus
Bought the ingredients and apparatus needed.
Involve in experiment and production of products
Prepared the poster and logo for exhibition.

NURUL FAHADIS

Meeting with Dr. Shakinaz to update the experiment draft

Responsible in preparations and setup during the exhibition
Bought the ingredients and apparatus needed
Responsible to prepare the method for experiment
Involve in experiment and product making
Prepared the poster and logo for exhibition

AIN SOFEA

Meeting with Dr. Shakinaz to update the experiment draft

Responsible in preparations and setup during the exhibition
Booking date for experiment and apparatus
Involve in experiment and product making
Preparing the standard solution
Meeting with Dr. Shakinaz to update the experiment draft
Responsible in making product pamphlet

WONG PUI YEE

Responsible in preparations and setup during the exhibition

Preparing the standard solution
Involve in experiment and product making
Responsible in making product pamphlet

LIM LEE WEN

Meeting with Dr. Shakinaz to update the experiment draft

Responsible in preparations and during the exhibition
Buying ingredient need for experiment
Involve in experiment and product making
Prepared the video for exhibition

MOHAMMAD ALIF

Meeting with Dr. Shakinaz to update the experiment draft

Responsible in preparations and setup during the exhibition