ICAR AIEEA-PG / PGS — Code 18 Food Science Technology · India · ICAR through the National Testing Agency
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersThe newest part of the field: plant-based meat, dairy and egg analogues, cultivated meat, precision-fermentation ingredients, mycoprotein, insects and algae, and 3D food printing — their technology, nutrition, safety, regulation and sustainability claims.
In the exams: ICAR AICE 35.a Unit 2 (dairy analogues based on plant milk); PG research and industry R&D roles
How our questions for ICAR AIEEA-PG / PGS spread across the units of Alternative Proteins & Future Foods. Difficulty: 7 easy, 9 medium, 1 hard.
| Plant-based meat analogues: ingredients and structuring | 6 | |
| Nutrition and safety of novel proteins | 5 | |
| Plant-based dairy and egg analogues | 4 | |
| Drivers for alternative proteins | 1 | |
| Mycoprotein and fungal biomass | 1 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
Textured vegetable protein (TVP) used in mince-type products is made mainly by
B. Low-moisture extrusion
Low-moisture extrusion expands protein into porous pieces that are dried and rehydrated. High-moisture extrusion gives dense fibrous products; drying methods do not texturise.
Further reading: Kyriakopoulou, Keppler and van der Goot, Foods (2021)
Methylcellulose is used in plant-based burgers mainly because it
A. Gels on heating and binds
Methylcellulose forms a gel when heated, holding the patty together and giving bite during cooking. Colour comes from beetroot or haem proteins, and methylcellulose provides no protein or sodium reduction.
Further reading: Kyriakopoulou, Keppler and van der Goot, Foods (2021)
Which fat is commonly used in plant-based meat analogues to imitate the melting of animal fat?
B. Coconut oil
Coconut oil is solid at room temperature and melts on cooking, imitating animal fat. Fish oil is not plant-based, mineral oil is not a food fat, and linseed oil is liquid and oxidises easily.
Further reading: Kyriakopoulou, Keppler and van der Goot, Foods (2021)
A protein isolate differs from a protein concentrate in that the isolate
B. Has a higher protein content
Isolates commonly contain about 80–90% protein, concentrates about 50–70%. Isolates are usually made by wet extraction, contain less starch and fibre, and are not always more functional.
Further reading: Kyriakopoulou, Keppler and van der Goot, Foods (2021)
Unless fortified, plant-based drinks are typically low in
A. Calcium and vitamin B12
Cow milk supplies calcium, vitamin B12, riboflavin and iodine, which plant drinks lack unless added. They are mostly water and may contain sugars and some fibre.
Further reading: Kyriakopoulou, Keppler and van der Goot, Foods (2021)
Tempeh, a traditional fungal protein food, is made with
A. Rhizopus
Tempeh is soybeans bound by Rhizopus mycelium. Fusarium gives mycoprotein, Penicillium ripens cheeses, and Lactobacillus is a bacterium.
Further reading: Wiebe, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology (2002)
A protein's limiting amino acid score is 0.85 and its digestibility is 0.90. Its PDCAAS is
D. 0.77
PDCAAS = 0.85 × 0.90 = 0.765 ≈ 0.77. 0.85 ignores digestibility; 0.94 divides 0.85 by 0.90; 1.75 adds the two values.
Further reading: FAO, Dietary protein quality evaluation in human nutrition (2013)
Digestible lysine is 48 mg/g protein and the reference requirement is 57 mg/g; lysine is limiting. The DIAAS is about
B. 84
DIAAS = 100 × 48 ÷ 57 = 84. 119 inverts the ratio; 48 and 57 are the inputs.
Further reading: FAO, Dietary protein quality evaluation in human nutrition (2013)
DIAAS differs from PDCAAS mainly in that DIAAS
A. Ileal digestibility per amino acid
DIAAS uses true ileal digestibility of each indispensable amino acid and is not truncated; PDCAAS uses faecal protein digestibility and truncates at 1.0. Both depend on amino acid composition.
Further reading: FAO, Dietary protein quality evaluation in human nutrition (2013)
Cereal proteins are usually limited by
A. Lysine
Cereals are typically lysine-limited, while legumes are limited by sulphur amino acids (methionine and cysteine); combining them improves quality.
Further reading: FAO, Dietary protein quality evaluation in human nutrition (2013)
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