Accurate measurement of food intake by organism is crucial, especially when working in therapeutic area. Various methods have been developed to address this problem. Food labeled with radioactive tracers, proboscis extension method and capillary feeder (CAFE) assay are some of the popular methods for measurement of food intake. Among these, Capillary feeder and radioactive tracer methods are shown to measure intake amount with greater accuracy. We hereby present a modified version of CAFE method that gives additional advantages of working with single flies and provides an opportunity to measure the amount of excreta produced. Simplicity of assembly of the feeding apparatus and the cost efficiency are some of the other advantages of the method presented here. This study also confirms the higher consumption of food by female as compared to male Drosophila adults, as reported using other methods. It also establishes that food consumption in the flies, housed individually, is greater in dark period as compared to the period of light.
