The Chemistry of Clif Bars

Introduction

A Clif Bar is an energy bar developed by Erickson and Kit Crawford. It is made with many organic ingredients that give you energy when eaten. I chose a clif bar because I absolutely love them. I eat at least two a day and I really wanted to know just exactly what I was eating. I eat a clif bar before and after working out. It gives me that extra energy you need when I wake up for my early morning workout. But then it has a respectable 11g of protein and that is why I eat one after my workouts as well. Composition of ...The composition a clif bar is Organic Brown rice syrup, Organic rolled oats, Soy protein isolate, Organic cane syrup, Organic dried cane syrup, Rice flour, Organic roasted soybeans, Organic soy flour, organic oat fiber, cocoa, Cocoa butter, Organic date paste, Organic sunflower oil, Natural flavors, soy flour, sea salt (NaCl), Barley malt extract, Organic vanilla extract, Soy lecithin. Also contains soy and may contain traces of milk and wheat- (C6H10O5)n

Main Chemicals, Compounds, Components

The main chemicals in a clif bar are Sodium 230mg Na Total carb. 41g CH2O Dietary fiber 4g, Insoluble fiber 3G, Sugars 20g C12H22O11, Protein 11g RCH(NH2). The other components that are most of the makeup of a clif bar are fats. There are trans fat, sat. fat, Polyunsat. Fat which is a fat that has two or more carbon double bonds.

, and Monounsat. Fat. which has one double bond in the fatty acid chain with remainder carbon atoms being single bonded. The total amount of fat in a clif bar is 7g which is way less than the carbs, sugars, and proteins in a clif bar. According to the food and drug administration what makes a clif bar or any energy bar get its energy is calories. A calorie is the unite of thermal energy which is equal to 4.184 joules or amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of liquid water 1 degrees celsius at standard pressure. A clif bar does this by the ingredient and components above.

Chemistry's Role

The role of chemistry in making a clif bar is that when a person or baker or even machine adds all the ingredients together and bakes it in a oven the heat reacts with the ingredients causing a reaction to make a clif bar that's ready to be packaged and sent to the consumers. But let's take a look at some of the specific things that happen. The clif bar has soy protein inside and when baked in an oven soy protein is isolated and is turned into a hidden form of MSG which is a glutamic acid. Monosodium glutamate also known as MSG is the sodium salt of glutamic acids one of the most abundant naturally occurring amino acids. Also found in tomatoes, cheese, potatoes, and many other fruits and vegetables. MSG is used as a flavor enhancer that intensifies the flavor of the food. So when a clif bar is baked the MSG that is formed causes the flavor of a clif bar to enhance.

Background Research

The clif bar is an energy bar made in an American company the co. CEO’s are Erickson and Kit Crawford. They created the clif bar by experimenting in the kitchen one day with trying to create a healthy good tasting energy bar and just happened to create a clif bar. The science they used to make a clif bar was trial and error also experimenting the taste of ingredients when exposed to extreme heat or baked.

Resources

http://www.clifbar.com/products/clif-bar/clifbar?gclid=CK2N9cf7kMsCFQUFaQodiZIC0g

Nutrition facts.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/406158-clif-bars-and-diets/

Where the clif bar gets its energy from.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryglossary/a/caloriedef.htm

Definition of a calorie.

http://mywholefoodlife.com/2013/02/01/homemade-almond-clif-bars/

Backed in a oven and has Soy protein isolated and is a hidden form of MSG which is a glutamic acid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate

MSG definition and what its used for.

http://www.clifbar.com/products/clif-bar/clifbar

Clif bar ingredients

About the Author

Keaton Anderson is a junior at billings senior high school. He enjoys learning how chemistry is in life and what different things are made of. He will hopefully be attending college for a football scholarship or track scholarship. What he will be studying he has no idea yet. His favorite foods are steak and burgers but also loves to clif bars to help get that extra protein and energy. On his pastime he loves hunting, fishing, adventuring, and hanging out with friends. Keaton is a 3.2 GPA student that wants to do something great with his life someday.