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Re: Hummingbird food



Thanks, Norm.  And so, my question actually gets to the matter of
whether there is a difference to the hummingbird.  I wanted to know is a
sugar a sugar in terms of nutritional value, and the way the cells
uptake and utilize the sugar?  Based on other responses, it appears that
there is no difference.

Now I'm wondering what the labeling requirements are.  Does a 100%
sucrose listing mean to imply that the product only is composed of
so-called "natural sugars" since sucrose is always dextrose in this
instance?  Is a label containing the phrase sucrose and dextrose
redundant then?  Don't know that I've ever noticed a label with levulose
listed.  I, and I would think many, of the consuming public are not very
up on the distinctions between the two.  Well, I'll stop now since this
is getting off the intent of the list.  But I am going to the store in a
few minutes, and will check those labels  ;-).

Marsha Stephens
North Chatham County
stephens@mail.fpg.unc.edu

Norman Budnitz wrote:
> 
> At 12:27 PM 7/25/2001 -0400, you wrote:
> >Is there any difference in quality for hummingbird clear nectar mixes
> >between a sucrose and dextrose combination vs 100% sucrose?  Thanks for
> >any information.
> 
> Late response since I'm just getting to look at old e-mails:
> 
> Sucrose can potentially come in two forms -- dextrose and levulose (I think
> that's the correct spelling).  These two forms are named for the way the
> crystalline forms of the molecules rotate light (dex to the right, lev to
> the left).  And that rotation is due to the three-dimensional arrangement
> of the individual forms of the molecules (known as enantiomorphs -- one of
> the great words in chemistry circles).  I believe naturally occurring
> sucrose (from sugar cane, for example) is always dextrose.  Synthesized
> sucrose (made from simpler sugars, I suppose) is a mixture of the two forms.
> 
> I've always wondered at the distinctions on food labels.  Cynic that I am,
> I've always assumed that listing both sucrose and dextrose was a way to
> make it look as if there were less "sugar" in the product.  I think that
> the two terms are, for all practical purposes, interchangeable.
> 
> If I have this wrong, I'd appreciate some clarification.  Perhaps my brain
> is becoming caramelized.
> 
> Norm
> 
> ***********************************************************
> Norman Budnitz, nbudnitz@duke.edu
> 919-684-3592 (day), 919-383-0553 (eve),919-660-7293 (fax)
> 
> (work) Biology Dept, Duke Univ, Box 90338, Durham NC 27708
> (home) 4115 Garrett Drive, Durham NC 27705
> 
> PROGRESS: the victory of laughter over dogma.
> (Tom Robbins, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas)