At a time when people are more health conscious, one of the most important things is to find out what is in your food and drink. On Saturday, 3 June, thirty school pupils will be at the University of Dundee to test a range of fruit drink products to find out how much actual fruit is in each drink.

The event, called "How Fruity is your Juice?", is the last in the series of four Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) Masterclasses taking place this term, organised by the School of Life Sciences at the University.

The pupils will carry out a range of experiments on the fruit drinks to find out which sugars are present, how much vitamin C they contain, and what colouring compounds have been introduced to make the drinks look more attractive to consumers. They will also test for citric acid content, which causes tooth decay.

The aim of the Masterclass is for the pupils to be able to recognise the difference between a fruit juice and a fruit juice drink and know whether it is a healthy drink or not by looking closely at the labelling and recognising what the ingredients mean.

Dr Linda Morris and Dr Nick Brewer will lead the experiments along with technical staff from the Life Sciences Teaching Unit.

The RSE Masterclasses are offered to S1 and S2 pupils from schools across Dundee, Tayside and Perth & Kinross who have shown an enthusiasm and flair for science and technology. Pupils have the opportunity to benefit from exposure to the inspiration of experts at the University, and the opportunity to roll-up their sleeves and take-on practical, hands-on challenges.

For further information on the Masterclasses, please contact Emma Faragher, Education Assistant, RSE, on 0131 240 5000.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Biological Sciences building is just off Miller's Wynd. The web page at http://www.dundee.ac.uk/general/campusmap/ shows the location (Biological Sciences's building number 43 on the map)

The team conducting the experiments with the school pupils can be contacted on 01382 384228 on the day.

For media enquiries contact:

Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk