What's Actually in Your Food? Momentum Students Ran Tests to Find Out

Snacks staged for the morning food nutrient testing lab, each one labeled "not for human consumption" before students tested it for starch, sugar, protein, and fat

Chips, crackers, milk, candy, and soft drinks are not standard laboratory equipment. But for one day last month, they were exactly that.

In August, a group of high school students spent the day in a Wentworth chemistry lab testing everyday foods for sugars, starches, proteins, and fats as part of Momentum, the university's one-week pre-college program for students entering grades 9 and 10. The session was led by Yalinu Poya, assistant professor of Chemistry in the School of Sciences and Humanities, and built around a single day's topic: Food, Enzymes and Human Health.

Momentum ran Aug. 3-7 under the theme "Connected Care: Technology in Human Health," with students rotating through disciplines across the Institute. Sixteen students took part in the Applied Sciences session.

The morning was given over to a food nutrient testing lab. Before anyone touched a pipette, Poya put a slide on the screen showing a blended coffee drink, a roast chicken, a salad, a bowl of ice cream, and a slice of pepperoni pizza before asking the students which ones they expected to test positive for starch, sugar, protein, and fat.

The afternoon moved to enzymes, using pineapple, kiwi, banana, and avocado. Students investigated how enzymes drive processes in living systems and what conditions speed those reactions up or slow them down. The day was structured as a rotation of short talks, hands-on lab work, and reflection, with students recording what they observed and what surprised them.

"One of the key messages I wanted students to take away is that science is everywhere," Poya said. "You do not always need fancy equipment or complex experiments to explore scientific concepts. Everyday items such as food can help us better understand the science that shapes our daily lives."

That approach carries over into the degree program the session was drawn from. Wentworth's Bachelor of Science in Applied Sciences is a four-year program built on the scientific systems learning model, giving students a foundation in chemistry, biology, and physics and asking them to study how the three depend on one another. Students put that theory to work outside the classroom, in labs, and in co-op placements with employers across the region.

For a group of students still a few years from choosing a major, the day offered a preview of what that kind of learning feels like, starting with a bag of chips.

Momentum is one of three Wentworth pre-college summer programs, alongside ImpactLab for rising juniors and seniors and SummerFAB for Boston high school students. Registration for summer 2027 opens in January. Learn more at wit.edu/admissions/pre-college.