ARS/ NET Exam
Syllabus for Food Technology
Unit 1: Introductory Food Technology
Introduction to food technology. Food processing industries/institutions/food
scientists of importance in India. Food attributes viz. colour, texture,
flavour, nutritive value and consumer preferences. Causes of food spoilage,
sources of microbial contamination of foods, food borne illnesses, water
activity and its relation to spoilage of foods. Spoilage of processed products
and their detection. Principles and methods of food preservation. Food
fortification, Composition and related quality factors for processing. Methods
of food preservation such as heat processing, pasteurization, canning,
dehydration, freezing, freeze drying, fermentation, microwave, irradiation and
chemical additives. Refrigerated and modified atmosphere storage. Aseptic
preservation, hurdle technology, hydrostatic pressure technology and microwave
processing. Use of non-thermal technologies (microfiltration, bacteriofugation,
ultra high voltage electric fields, pulse electric fields, high pressure
processing, irradiation, thermosonication), alternate-thermal technologies
(ohmic heating, dielectric heating, infrared and induction heating) and
biological technologies (antibacterial enzymes, bacteriocins, proteins and
peptides) in food processing.
Unit 2: Technology of Foods of Plant Origin
(a) Fruits and Vegetable Processing: Post harvest handling and storage of fresh
fruits and vegetables. Preparation of fruits and vegetables for processing.
Minimally processed products. Cold chain logistics. ZECC (Zero Energy Cool
Chambers), CCSR (Charcoal cool storage Rooms) Thermal processing and process
time evaluation for canned products, process optimization, aseptic canning,
methods for canning of different fruits, and vegetables; Dehydration and associated
quality changes during drying and storage of dehydrated products. Solar drying.
Intermediate moisture foods. Preparation and utilization of fruits and
vegetables juices in non-fermented/ fermented/ aerated beverages, health
drinks. Membrane technology. Chemistry and manufacture of pectin, role in gel
formation and products like jellies and marmalades. Technology of
preservatives, pickles, chutney’s and sauces. Nature and control of spoilage in
these products. Re-structured fruits and vegetables. By products utilization of
fruits and vegetable processing industry. Processing methods of frozen fruits
and vegetables, IQF products, packaging, storage and thawing. Role of
Pectinases. Tomato products such as juice, puree, paste, soup, sauce and
ketchup. Other convenience foods from fruits and vegetables. Beverages, tea,
cocoa and coffee processing. Medicinal and aromatic plants: their therapeutic
values. Spice Processing viz. cleaning, grading, drying, grinding, packaging
and storage. Oleoresins and essential oils.
(b) Food grain Processing: Structure, composition of different grains like
wheat, rice, barley, oat, maize and millets. Anti-nutritional factors in food
grains and oilseeds. Milling of grains. Wheat flour/semolina and its use in
traditional/non-traditional foods like breads, biscuits, cakes, doughnuts,
buns, pasta goods, extruded, confectionary products, breakfast and snack foods.
Rheology of wheat and rice flour. Preparation of vital wheat gluten and its
utilization. Instant ready mixtures. Enzymes (amylases and proteases) in
milling and baking. Milling and parboiling of rice; by-products of rice milling
and their utilization. Processed products from rice. Pearling, malting, brewing
and preparation of malted milk feeds from barley. Significance of ß-glucans.
Milling of oats and its processing into flakes, porridge and oatmeal. Wet and
dry milling of corn, manufacture of corn flakes, corn syrup, corn starch, corn
steep liquor and germ oil. Structure and composition of pulses and their
importance in Indian diet. Milling and processing of pulses viz. germination,
cooking, roasting, frying, canning and fermentation. Use in traditional
products, protein concentrates and isolates. Modified starches and proteins.
Oilseeds: edible oilseeds, composition and importance in India. Oilseed
processing. Oil extraction and its processing, by- products of oil refining.
Production, packaging and storage of vanaspati, peanut butter, protein
concentrates, isolates and their use in high protein foods. Export of oilseed cakes.
International market and consumer preferences for quality in cakes for use in
textured vegetable proteins. Millets: composition, nutritional significance,
structure and processing. Dairy analogues based on plant milk. Spices
Processing: Oleoresin and essential oil extraction
Unit 3: Technology of Foods of Animal Origin
(a) Technology of Milk and Milk Products: Milk and Milk production in India.
Importance of milk processing plants in the country. Handling and maintenance
of dairy plant equipment. Dairy plant operations viz. receiving, separation,
clarification, pasteurization, standardization, homogenization, sterilization,
storage, transport and distribution of milk. Problems of milk supply in India.
UHT, toned, humanized, fortified, reconstituted and flavoured milks. Technology
of fermented milks. Milk products processing viz. cream, butter, ghee, cheese,
condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole and skimmed milk powder, ice-cream,
butter oil, khoa, channa, paneer and similar products. Judging and grading of
milk products. Cheese spreads by spray and roller drying techniques. EMC
(Enzyme modified cheese), Enzymes in dairy processing. Insanitization viz.
selection and use of dairy cleaner and sanitizer. In plant cleaning system.
Scope and functioning of milk supply schemes and various national and
international organizations. Specifications and standards in milk processing
industry. Dairy plant sanitation and waste disposal.
(b) Technology of Meat / Fish / Poultry Products: Scope of meat, fish and poultry
processing industry in India. Chemistry and microscopic structure of meat
tissue. Ante mortem inspection. Slaughter and dressing of various animals and
poultry birds. Post mortem examination. Rigor mortis. Retails and wholesale
cuts. Factors affecting meat quality. Curing, smoking, freezing, canning and
dehydration of meat, poultry and their products. Sausage making. Microbial
factors influencing keeping quality of meat. Processing and preservation of
fish and its products. Handling, canning, smoking and freezing of fresh water
fish and its products. Meat tenderization and role of enzymes in meat
processing. Utilization of by-products. Zoovosic diseases. Structure and
composition of egg and factors effecting quality. Quality measurement.
Preservation of eggs using oil coating, refrigeration, thermo stabilization and
antibiotics. Packing, storage and transportation of eggs. Technology of egg
products viz. egg powder, albumen, flakes and calcium tablets. Industrial and
food user physiological conditions and quality of fish products.
Unit 4: Food Quality Management
Objectives, importance and functions of quality control. Quality systems and
tools used for quality assurance including control charts, acceptance and
auditing inspections, critical control points, reliability, safety, recall and
liability. The principles and practices of food plant sanitation. Food and
hygiene regulations. Environment and waste management. Total quality
management, good management practices, HACCP and codex in food. International and
National food laws. US-FDA/ISO-9000 and FSSAI. Food adulteration, food safety.
Sensory evaluation, panel screening, selection methods. Sensory and
instrumental analysis quality control. Quality control of food at all stages
and for packaging materials. Non-destructive food quality evaluation methods.
Unit 5: Food Engineering/Packaging and Labelling
Unit operations of food processing viz. grading, sorting, peeling and size
reduction machineries for various unit operations, energy balance in food
processing. Packaging materials viz. properties and testing procedures,
packaging of fresh and processed foods. Shelf life studies. Recent trends in
packaging, aseptic, modified atmosphere, vacuum and gas packaging. Nutritional
labelling requirements of foods. Requirements and functions of containers.
Principles of package design.
Unit 6: Food Microbiology & Biotechnology
Fermentation technology, fermented food products (animal and plant based),
microbial spoilage of foods, bacterial growth curve, hurdle technology. Role of
biotechnology in productivity of plants, livestock and microbes of improved
nutrition and quality. Use of biotechnology in production of food additives
viz. preservatives, colorants, flavours. Use of biotechnologically improved
enzymes in food processing industry, biomass production using industrial
wastes. Single cell proteins, Food contaminants viz. aflatoxins. Food
intoxication and infection. Consumer concerns about risks and values,
Biotechnology and food safety.
Unit 7: Flavour Chemistry Technology
Flavour composition of foods/beverages (identification and quantitative
analysis of the flavour precursors and their products, characterization of the
staling reaction using stable isotopes). Flavour composition of foods/beverages
in relation with maturation and microbial activity/or the processing conditions
(e.g. fermented dairy products, beer, wine, honey, fruits). Analysis of
odour-active compounds of food/beverages (Charm analysis). Synthesis of flavour
by microorganisms and plant cells. Lipid derived flavours. Investigation of
equilibrium of key flavour compounds that govern the flavour stability of
beverages. Natural antioxidant constraints in spices. Role of microorganisms in
flavour development. Flavor emulsions, flavour composites, essential oils and
oleoresins.
Unit 8: Consumer Sciences / Food Product Development / Health Foods
Socio-cultural, psychological and economical consideration for food appearance,
domestic and export marketing. Consumer trends and their impact on new product
development. Product development viz. to conceive ideas, evaluation of ideas,
developing ideas into products, test marketing and commercialization. Role of
food in human nutrition. Nutritional disorders, natural contaminants and health
hazards associated with foods. Diet therapy. Therapeutic / Engineered /
Fabricated and Organic foods/ Nutraceutical and functional foods.
