ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) — Food Processing Technology, Food Safety & Quality, Processing and Food Engineering · India · ICAR through the National Testing Agency
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) — Food Processing Technology, Food Safety & Quality, Processing and Food Engineering is a PhD, fellowship and lectureship exam run by ICAR through the National Testing Agency, for candidates in India. Computer-based, multiple choice.
Source: icar.org.in.
Checked against the exam body's published information. Formats and fees change; confirm the current edition there before you book.
Keeping the plant clean and verified clean: soils and detergents, cleaning-in-place and cleaning-out-of-place, sanitisers and their validation, environmental monitoring for pathogens, personnel hygiene, pest management and water and waste hygiene.
Our 16 ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF questions in this subject: 0 easy, 10 medium, 6 hard, across 8 units.
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
These 10 were written to ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF and are not shown on any other exam's page.
Which Codex text sets out the good hygiene practices that form prerequisite programmes for HACCP?
A. Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene, CXC 1-1969
CXC 1-1969, revised in 2020, covers establishment design, cleaning, pest control, personal hygiene and HACCP. The other texts deal with additives, a product standard and biotechnology.
Deposits formed in the heating section of a milk pasteuriser at about 80 to 100 °C are soft and voluminous. What type of fouling is this?
D. Type A, rich in whey protein
Type A fouling forms roughly between 75 and 110 °C and is protein-rich, largely β-lactoglobulin. Type B forms above about 110 °C and is mostly mineral. There are no standard types C or D for fat or lactose.
How does fouling of a plate heat exchanger show up during a long production run?
B. Rising pressure drop and falling product outlet temperature
Deposits narrow the channels (raising pressure drop) and insulate the plates (lowering heat transfer, so outlet temperature falls at constant heating medium). Neither pH nor flow rise is the usual sign.
A dairy finds that raising its CIP caustic from 1.5% to 4% did not improve the removal of a protein deposit. Which explanation fits?
B. Over-strong caustic gels the deposit surface, slowing removal
Beyond an optimum, more caustic gives little benefit and can form a swollen, gel-like surface layer that hinders removal; temperature, flow and time are often better levers. Caustic never becomes acidic, alkali is the main protein remover, and concentration does not cool the solution.
Hypochlorous acid has a pKa of about 7.5. Approximately what fraction of free chlorine is HOCl at pH 8.5?
C. 9%
Fraction HOCl = 1/(1 + 10^(pH − pKa)) = 1/(1 + 10¹) = 9%. 50% is at pH = pKa; 91% would be at pH 6.5, one unit below the pKa; 99% would be at pH 5.5.
Why are quaternary ammonium sanitisers avoided on surfaces that contact milk for cheese or yoghurt making?
D. Residues can inhibit the starter cultures
Quat residues are antimicrobial and can slow or stop lactic fermentation. They do not react with lactose to form toxins or coagulate milk; organic matter reduces efficacy, but the specific concern is starter inhibition.
A dry-fermented sausage line gives low ATP readings after cleaning, yet allergen swabs are positive for milk protein. Which explanation fits?
A. Purified or processed proteins can leave residues with little ATP
ATP comes mainly from cells and fresh tissue; highly processed or purified ingredients such as milk proteins may contain little ATP, so ATP cannot verify allergen removal. ATP does not measure protein.
Why is whole-genome sequencing of repeated Listeria isolates from a plant useful?
C. It tells a persistent strain from new introductions
Closely related genomes over time indicate a resident strain in a niche, while unrelated isolates point to repeated introduction, for example from raw materials; the corrective actions differ. Sequencing does not measure sanitiser or counts.
Why has methyl bromide been phased out as a fumigant for most uses?
B. It depletes the ozone layer
Methyl bromide is an ozone-depleting substance, phased out under the Montreal Protocol except for limited exemptions such as some quarantine treatments; alternatives include phosphine, sulphuryl fluoride, heat and controlled atmospheres.
A plant wants to disinfest a mill without fumigants. Which approach can kill all life stages of stored-product insects?
B. Heating the structure to about 50–60 °C
Heat treatment at about 50 to 60 °C, held until the whole structure reaches lethal temperature, kills eggs, larvae, pupae and adults. Mild cooling, humidity or darkness do not kill insects.
This plan follows where our questions actually fall, so the time goes where the marks are likely to be. It is our reading of the syllabus, not the exam body's weighting.
Read the manual chapters for these first and do every worked question you can find on them.
Aim for one sitting per unit, then mixed questions across them.
Learn the definitions, classifications and standard numbers; these units are more often recalled than worked.
Come back to these after a first pass, untimed, and read every explanation, including for the options you rejected.
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