ASRB NET and ARS: dairy disciplines · India · Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ICAR)
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersProbiotic organisms, prebiotics, bioactive components and the evidence and regulation behind health claims for dairy foods.
In the exams: ICAR AICE subject 36 Unit 5 and subject 37 Unit 6; ICAR AIEEA-PG group 16 (application of the probiotic concept)
ASRB NET and ARS — Dairy Microbiology
Recall of definitions, organisms and their new names, selection criteria, viability and regulatory positions at Master's depth.
How our questions for ASRB NET and ARS spread across the units of Probiotics, Prebiotics & Functional Dairy Foods. Difficulty: 12 easy, 7 medium, 2 hard.
| Definitions: probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics and postbiotics | 3 | |
| Probiotic genera: Lactobacillus (current genera), Bifidobacterium and others | 2 | |
| Selection criteria and safety assessment of probiotic strains | 2 | |
| Mechanisms of probiotic action | 2 | |
| Survival in products and the gut; microencapsulation | 2 | |
| Prebiotics: galacto-oligosaccharides, inulin and human milk oligosaccharides | 2 | |
| Bioactive peptides from milk proteins | 2 | |
| Exopolysaccharides from lactic acid bacteria | 2 | |
| Evidence standards for health benefits | 2 | |
| Regulation of probiotics and health claims worldwide | 2 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
The strain long sold as Lactobacillus casei Shirota is now classified as:
B. Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strain Shirota
Taxonomic revision placed it in L. paracasei, now Lacticaseibacillus.
Further reading: Tamime (ed.), Probiotic Dairy Products
When must a probiotic product meet its declared count?
C. At the end of shelf life
Counts fall in storage; the claim applies to the whole shelf life.
Further reading: Hill et al., ISAPP consensus statement on probiotics (2014)
Which starter organism's post-acidification most often harms probiotic survival in yoghurt?
D. Lactobacillus bulgaricus
L. bulgaricus continues acid production in the cold.
Further reading: Tamime (ed.), Probiotic Dairy Products
GOS and long-chain FOS are often added to infant formula in a ratio of about:
B. 9 to 1
The 9:1 GOS:lcFOS mixture aims at a bifidobacteria-rich microbiota.
Further reading: Tamime (ed.), Probiotic Dairy Products
VPP and IPP are released from beta-casein by fermentation with:
B. Lactobacillus helveticus
Strongly proteolytic L. helveticus strains release lactotripeptides.
Further reading: Tamime (ed.), Probiotic Dairy Products
What was EFSA's conclusion on VPP and IPP and blood pressure?
C. Cause and effect was not established
Trials are mixed; the claim was not accepted.
Further reading: Hill et al., ISAPP consensus statement on probiotics (2014)
Dextran and levan are examples of:
B. Homopolysaccharides
They are made from sucrose outside the cell.
Further reading: Tamime (ed.), Probiotic Dairy Products
Why can observational studies linking yoghurt intake to lower disease risk not prove causation?
C. Confounding by other diet and lifestyle factors
Yoghurt consumers differ in many ways.
Further reading: Hill et al., ISAPP consensus statement on probiotics (2014)
Nutrition and health claims in the EU are governed by:
C. Regulation (EC) 1924/2006
2073/2005 sets microbiological criteria.
Further reading: Hill et al., ISAPP consensus statement on probiotics (2014)
The EU authorised claim for live yoghurt cultures requires at least how many live starter microorganisms per gram?
D. 10^8 cfu
At least 10^8 cfu/g of live starter microorganisms.
Further reading: Tamime (ed.), Probiotic Dairy Products
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