India · ICAR through the National Testing Agency · pg
3146practice questions written to this syllabus
52subjects
Format
Computer-based, multiple choice, +4/−1 marking (from the existing Laisha rows for ICAR AIEEA-PG; not re-read for this subject).
Sections
Unit I: food chemistry, physical properties, colloids, gels and emulsions, minerals, nutrition, metabolism, BV and PER, additives, contaminants, anti-nutritional factors, flavours, food standards, analytical techniques
Unit II: engineering properties, mass and energy balance, unit operations from handling to freezing and packing, process equipment design, heat and mass transfer, utilities, water and waste-water treatment, thermobacteriology, automation, plant layout, energy audit
Unit III: technology of cereals, bakery, meat, poultry, fish, egg, dairy, fruits and vegetables, sugars, fats and oils, fermented foods, beverages, indigenous and fast foods; dehydration, irradiation, microwave; by-products; flavour and pigment technology; judging of food products; plant management and legal aspects; effluent treatment; storage and packaging; transportation and marketing
Unit IV: food microbiology, spoilage, pathogens and toxins, preservation, fermented foods, microbiological examination, hygiene and safety regulations, water quality and waste disposal
Over the years
Syllabus read in the ICAR AIEEA-PG syllabus PDF. Sub-subjects: 18.1 Food Processing Technology, 18.2 Food Process Engineering, 18.3 Food Safety & Quality. Admission to M.Sc./M.Tech in agricultural universities and the PG scholarship. Related groups: Code 10 (Agricultural Engineering, sub-subject 10.3 Processing and Food Engineering), Code 11 (Community Science, 11.1 Food & Nutrition) and Code 17 (Dairy Technology).
Original questions written to this exam's published syllabus and pattern. Not past papers.
1. A miller blends a flour with 10 g protein per 100 g and a concentrate with 40 g per 100 g to make 300 kg of blend with 25 g per 100 g. How much flour is needed?
100 kg
250 kg
150 kg
200 kg
Answer and working
C. 150 kg
Let x be the flour mass: 0.10x + 0.40(300 − x) = 0.25 × 300 = 75, so 120 − 0.30x = 75 and x = 150 kg (the Pearson square gives parts 15 : 15, i.e. 1 : 1). 100 kg of flour would give a 30 g per 100 g blend, 200 kg a 20 g blend and 250 kg a 15 g blend.
Mathematics for Food Science & Engineering · Matrices, determinants, rank and systems of linear equations
2. Packs of biscuits have a mean fill weight of 250 g and a standard deviation of 5 g. What is the coefficient of variation?
0.02%
2%
50%
5%
Answer and working
B. 2%
CV = SD / mean × 100 = 5 / 250 × 100 = 2%. 0.02% forgets to multiply by 100, 50% divides the mean by the SD, and 5% just repeats the SD in grams as if it were a percentage.
Statistics, Experimental Design & Chemometrics for Food Science · Descriptive statistics and probability distributions: binomial, Poisson and normal
3. Why does water have an unusually high boiling point and specific heat for a molecule of its size?
Extensive hydrogen bonding between molecules
Ionic bonding between H⁺ and OH⁻ ions in liquid water
The linear shape of the molecule, which lets molecules pack closely
Strong London dispersion forces from its large electron cloud
Answer and working
A. Extensive hydrogen bonding between molecules
O–H bonds are strongly polar and each water molecule can form up to four hydrogen bonds, which must be broken to heat or boil it. Water has a small electron cloud, so dispersion forces are weak; it is only very slightly ionised; and the molecule is bent (about 104.5°), not linear.
Chemistry for Food Science (General, Organic & Physical) · Atomic structure, periodicity and chemical bonding
4. Which linkage gives amylopectin and glycogen their branches?
β1→6 ester bonds
β1→4 glycosidic bonds
α1→6 glycosidic bonds
α1→4 glycosidic bonds only
Answer and working
C. α1→6 glycosidic bonds
Both are chains of α1→4-linked glucose with α1→6 branch points; glycogen branches more often (about every 8 to 12 residues) than amylopectin. β1→4 bonds form cellulose; α1→4 alone gives linear amylose; branches are glycosidic, not ester, bonds.
General Biochemistry & Metabolism · Biomolecules: carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids
5. Who disproved spontaneous generation with swan-neck flasks of boiled broth?
Louis Pasteur
Joseph Lister
Robert Koch
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
Answer and working
A. Louis Pasteur
Pasteur's swan-neck flasks (about 1861) stayed sterile while open to air because dust settled in the bend. Koch proved specific causes of disease; Leeuwenhoek first saw microbes; Lister introduced antiseptic surgery.
General Microbiology · History and scope of microbiology
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