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 papersThe science of traditional foods worldwide — fermented staples, street foods, sweets and snacks — and how they are standardised, scaled up, made safe and given shelf life without losing identity; plus convenience and ready-to-eat meals.
In the exams: ICAR AIEEA-PG Code 18 Unit III (indigenous foods; fast, readymade and fashion foods); GATE XE-G Section 2 (idli, dosa, soya sauce)
ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) — Food Processing Technology, Food Safety & Quality, Processing and Food Engineering
Deeper questions on scale-up of traditional processes, microbial ecology and starter culture development for traditional fermentations, safety of street foods and low-moisture foods, shelf-life prediction, retort pouch processing of traditional meals, RUTF and space food design, and GI policy.
How our questions for ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF spread across the units of Traditional, Ethnic & Indigenous Foods Technology. Difficulty: 0 easy, 36 medium, 25 hard.
| Traditional fermented foods of Asia, Africa and Latin America | 8 | |
| Geographical indications and protection of traditional foods | 8 | |
| Mechanisation and scale-up of traditional processes | 6 | |
| Shelf-life extension of traditional products | 6 | |
| Military, space and emergency foods | 6 | |
| Traditional foods as a global heritage and industry | 5 | |
| Traditional cereal and legume products | 5 | |
| Street foods: safety and improvement | 5 | |
| Standardisation of traditional recipes | 5 | |
| Ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook foods | 4 | |
| Traditional sweets and snacks | 3 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
Which traditional practice improves mineral availability from cereals and legumes?
D. Fermentation and soaking
Soaking, sprouting and fermentation reduce phytate, which binds iron and zinc, so more minerals become available. Frying, storage and salt do not have this effect.
Further reading: Tamang and Kailasapathy (eds.), Fermented Foods and Beverages of the World
Ogi, a West African fermented porridge, is made from
B. Maize, sorghum or millet
Ogi is made by soaking, wet-milling and fermenting maize, sorghum or millet, with lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. The other materials are used for other foods.
Further reading: Steinkraus (ed.), Handbook of Indigenous Fermented Foods
A city wants to improve street food safety without banning vendors. Which approach has worked best in practice?
C. Training plus licensing
Training combined with licensing, recognition such as hygiene ratings or clean food hubs, and infrastructure such as water points and waste collection has improved practices. Fines alone, bans and daily testing of every dish are impractical or ineffective.
Further reading: FAO, Street foods (Food and Nutrition Paper 63)
Mechanised gari processing centres improve the product mainly by
B. Faster, cleaner processing
Mechanical graters, presses and roasters reduce drudgery and time and improve hygiene, while keeping fermentation. Removing fermentation would weaken detoxification and flavour; the other options are not used.
Further reading: Steinkraus (ed.), Handbook of Indigenous Fermented Foods
Retort pouches are used to make traditional curries and dals
B. Shelf-stable at ambient temperature
Retort processing of sealed pouches gives commercial sterility so the product keeps without refrigeration. It does not require chilling, does not remove water, and involves no fermentation.
Further reading: Leistner and Gould, Hurdle Technologies
Chilled ready-to-eat meals need strict control of post-cooking contamination mainly because of
B. Listeria monocytogenes
Listeria grows at refrigeration temperatures and the consumer applies no lethal step, so post-cooking contamination and shelf life must be controlled. The other hazards are not the main concern for chilled RTE meals.
Further reading: Hui et al. (eds.), Handbook of Food Products Manufacturing
Per 100 g, an RUTF contains 13 g protein, 32 g fat and 45 g carbohydrate. Using 4, 9 and 4 kcal/g, its energy is
D. 520 kcal
13 × 4 + 32 × 9 + 45 × 4 = 52 + 288 + 180 = 520 kcal. 360 kcal uses 4 kcal/g for fat; 810 kcal uses 9 kcal/g for all; 90 kcal adds grams.
Further reading: WHO/UNICEF RUTF specifications and military ration literature
A producer group has registered a GI but imitations still sell widely. The most likely missing element is
A. Control and enforcement
A GI delivers value only with a product specification, an organisation of producers, control of compliance and enforcement against misuse. Name length, price and advertising alone do not stop imitation.
Further reading: WTO TRIPS Agreement; Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012; India GI Act 1999
The main cyanogenic glycoside of cassava, broken down during the processing of gari, is
D. Linamarin
Cassava contains mainly linamarin (with some lotaustralin); grating brings it into contact with the enzyme linamarase, and fermentation, pressing and roasting let the cyanide escape. Amygdalin occurs in bitter almonds and stone-fruit kernels, dhurrin in sorghum, and solanine is a potato glycoalkaloid, not cyanogenic.
Further reading: Steinkraus (ed.), Handbook of Indigenous Fermented Foods
Salt and pepper for astronauts are supplied suspended in liquids rather than as dry powders mainly because
B. Loose particles could float into equipment and eyes
In weightlessness dry particles do not settle and could drift into equipment, eyes or airways, so salt is dissolved in water and pepper suspended in oil. Taste intensity, packaging and reaction with oxygen are not the reason.
Further reading: WHO/UNICEF RUTF specifications and military ration literature
Ten here, 61 in the app. The Laisha app has every practice question we have written to ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF in this subject, marked as you go, with timed papers, a jump-to-unanswered list and a certificate when you pass at 70 per cent.
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