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 first map of the whole field: what food is, why it deteriorates, and the families of preservation (heat, cold, drying, chemicals, fermentation, irradiation, packaging and hurdles). Each family is studied in depth later; this subject teaches the logic that connects them.
In the exams: GATE XE-G and XL-U Section 3 (processing principles); ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF 35.a Unit 1 (introductory food technology)
How our questions for ICAR AIEEA-PG / PGS spread across the units of Principles of Food Science & Food Preservation. Difficulty: 0 easy, 72 medium, 8 hard.
| Preservation by chemicals, sugar, salt and smoke | 9 | |
| Preservation by removal of water: drying, concentration and intermediate-moisture foods | 8 | |
| Water activity and its relation to spoilage | 7 | |
| Preservation by heat: blanching, pasteurisation and sterilisation | 7 | |
| Food groups, composition and food attributes: colour, texture, flavour and nutrition | 6 | |
| Causes of food deterioration: microbial, enzymatic, chemical, physical and pest | 6 | |
| Preservation by low temperature: chilling and freezing | 6 | |
| Preservation by fermentation | 6 | |
| Preservation by irradiation | 6 | |
| Food fortification and enrichment | 6 | |
| Raw-material quality factors for processing | 6 | |
| Hurdle technology | 4 | |
| History, scope and structure of the food industry worldwide | 3 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
Where are post-harvest food losses usually largest?
D. Perishables in regions with little storage, cooling and processing
Losses concentrate in perishable foods (fruits, vegetables, fish, milk) where cold chains and processing are scarce. Canned and frozen foods in good storage are among the least wasted.
Further reading: FAO, State of Food and Agriculture 2019
A food has 12% moisture, 10% protein, 2% fat and 1.5% ash. What is its carbohydrate content by difference?
D. 74.5%
100 − (12 + 10 + 2 + 1.5) = 74.5%. 86.5% forgets moisture; 88.0% subtracts moisture only.
Further reading: Fellows, Food Processing Technology
Why are food composition table values only approximate for a given batch?
C. Composition varies with variety, breed, season, maturity and processing
Tables give typical values; individual lots differ, which is why processors test their own raw materials.
A product keeps 6 months at 30 °C. If Q10 = 2, about how long will it keep at 20 °C?
B. 12 months
Lowering by 10 °C halves the rate when Q10 = 2, doubling shelf life: 6 × 2 = 12 months. 3 months applies the factor the wrong way.
Further reading: Fellows, Food Processing Technology
Which organism can grow at the lowest water activity?
D. Xerophilic moulds
Xerophilic moulds grow down to about 0.61; S. aureus about 0.86; C. botulinum type A about 0.94; Gram-negatives about 0.93–0.97.
Further reading: Jay, Loessner and Golden, Modern Food Microbiology
Taking D121.1 of Clostridium botulinum spores as 0.21 min, what is a 12D process at 121.1 °C?
A. 2.52 min
12 × 0.21 = 2.52 min. 25.2 min is the value at 111.1 °C (D tenfold higher); 12.0 forgets D.
Further reading: Fellows, Food Processing Technology
Which produce is most likely to suffer chilling injury if stored at 4 °C?
A. Bananas
Many tropical fruits, including bananas and mangoes, suffer chilling injury below about 10–13 °C; apples, carrots and cabbage store well near 0 °C.
Further reading: Fellows, Food Processing Technology
Which preservative is most used against moulds and rope in bread?
B. Calcium propionate
Propionates inhibit moulds and rope-forming Bacillus; nitrite is a meat-curing agent; ascorbic acid is an antioxidant and dough improver.
Further reading: Fellows, Food Processing Technology
Why do potatoes for crisps and chips need low reducing sugars?
D. Reducing sugars cause dark fry colour and acrylamide formation
Reducing sugars react with asparagine in the Maillard reaction during frying, darkening the product and forming acrylamide.
Further reading: Fellows, Food Processing Technology
Which raw-material property is most important for tomatoes used to make paste?
D. High soluble solids
Paste yield depends on soluble solids, so processing tomatoes are bred and paid for high Brix.
Further reading: Fellows, Food Processing Technology
Ten here, 80 in the app. The Laisha app has every practice question we have written to ICAR AIEEA-PG / PGS 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.
Free for ten days, then one subscription of US$10 a month. We would rather say so here than have you find it later.
An AI operating system for agriculture: free guides, manuals and tools written for every country.