Differential Maltosazone Crystal Formation in Selected Packaged Food Products Using the Osazone Test

This study explored the application of the osazone test for maltose detection. The osazone test is a qualitative method used to detect various sugars in food products. When performed with maltose, the osazone test led to the production of maltosazone. This study investigated the use of the osazone test for various readily available food products, primarily those found in grocery stores and used in bakery products suspected to contain maltose or maltodextrin. Maltose consumption can exacerbate diet-induced obesity and related health issues, particularly when combined with a high fat diet. Malt is utilized in chocolate-based products as a thickening agent, which correlates with its potential health impacts. Other detection methods used in industries, such as gas chromatography, HPLC, and enzymatic methods, are time-consuming and cost-ineffective. Five packaged food products were used in this study. Maltosazone crystals were observed in four of them. The presence and morphology of the crystals confirmed the presence of maltose. This study demonstrated the application of the osazone test for the detection of maltose.