FSSAI Food Science, Technology & Regulatory Knowledge (Technical Subject) Syllabus

FSSAI Food Science, Technology & Regulatory Knowledge (Technical Subject): topic-wise syllabus

1. 1

   Food Chemistry

   ~18 marks

   • Water & Mineral Salts — Water Activity, Bound & Free Water, Hardness, Minerals, Role in Food
   • Carbohydrates — Monosaccharides, Disaccharides, Polysaccharides, Starch, Cellulose, Pectin, Functional Properties, Browning Reactions (Maillard, Caramelization)
   • Proteins — Amino Acids, Peptide Bond, Structure (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Quaternary), Denaturation, Functional Properties, Digestibility, PDCAAS, BV
   • Fats & Oils — Saturated, MUFA, PUFA, Trans Fats, Essential Fatty Acids, Rancidity, Hydrogenation, Saponification, Iodine Value, Saponification Value
   • Vitamins — Fat-soluble (A, D, E, K), Water-soluble (B-complex, C), Functions, Deficiency, Sources, Stability, Loss during Processing
   • Minerals — Macro (Ca, P, K, Na, Mg, S) & Micro (Fe, Zn, I, Se, Cu) — Functions, Deficiency, Bioavailability
   • Enzymes in Food — Amylase, Protease, Lipase, Pectinase, Bromelain, Papain, Lactase, Transglutaminase, Applications in Food
   • Pigments & Colorants — Chlorophyll, Carotenoids, Anthocyanins, Betalains, Curcumin, Synthetic Dyes (Permitted, Banned)
   • Flavors & Aromas — Terpenes, Aldehydes, Esters, Maillard Reaction Products, Off-flavors
   • Antioxidants — BHA, BHT, TBHQ, Natural (Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Rosemary Extract), Mode of Action
   • Food Additives — Classes (Preservatives, Emulsifiers, Stabilizers, Thickeners, Sweeteners, Leavening Agents, Anticaking), INS Numbers, Permitted Limits
   • Anti-nutritional Factors & Toxicants — Lectins, Oxalates, Phytates, Cyanogenic Glycosides, Lathyrus, Mycotoxins, Heavy Metals, Pesticide Residues
2. 2

   Food Microbiology

   ~18 marks

   • Microorganisms in Food — Bacteria, Yeast, Mold, Virus, Protozoa — Morphology, Classification, Growth, Important Genera (Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Staphylococcus, Clostridium, Bacillus, Campylobacter, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Saccharomyces, Lactobacillus)
   • Microbial Growth — Growth Curve, Generation Time, Intrinsic & Extrinsic Factors, Aw, pH, Temperature, Atmosphere
   • Food Spoilage — Causes, Signs, Microbial Spoilage of Cereals, Milk, Meat, Fish, Fruits, Vegetables, Canned Foods
   • Fermentation — Lactic Acid Bacteria, Yeast, Mold, Fermented Foods (Yogurt, Cheese, Idli, Dosa, Bread, Wine, Beer, Sauerkraut, Pickles, Kefir, Kombucha)
   • Probiotics, Prebiotics, Synbiotics — Health Claims, Mechanisms, Important Strains (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium)
   • Foodborne Pathogens & Diseases — Salmonellosis, E. coli O157:H7, Listeriosis, Campylobacteriosis, Staphylococcal Food Poisoning, Botulism, Norovirus, Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Cholera, Brucellosis, Anthrax
   • Microbiological Testing — TPC, Coliform, Yeast & Mold Count, E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Staphylococcus aureus, Pathogen Detection (PCR, ELISA, RT-PCR)
   • Asepsis & Sanitation — Cleaning, Sanitization, Disinfection, Sterilization, GMP, GHP
   • Rapid Methods in Microbiology — ATP Bioluminescence, Flow Cytometry, MALDI-TOF, Biosensors, Genomics-based Detection
   • Hurdle Technology, Predictive Microbiology, Challenge Testing, Microbial Risk Assessment (MRA)
3. 3

   Food Processing & Preservation

   ~18 marks

   • Thermal Processing — Pasteurization (HTST, LTLT), Sterilization, Canning, D Value, Z Value, F Value, 12D Concept, Retort Processing, Aseptic Processing
   • Cold Chain & Refrigeration — Chilling, Freezing, IQF, Freeze Drying, Cold Storage, Cold Chain Logistics, Refrigerants
   • Drying & Dehydration — Sun Drying, Tray, Spray, Drum, Fluidized Bed, Freeze Drying, Osmotic Dehydration, EMC, Drying Rate Curves
   • Chemical Preservation — Salt, Sugar, Vinegar, Spices, Smoking, Chemical Preservatives (Benzoates, Sorbates, Nitrites, Sulphites), Permitted Limits
   • Food Irradiation — Sources, Dose, Effects on Microbes & Nutrients, Approved Foods in India, Labeling
   • Non-thermal Processing — HPP, PEF, Ultrasound, UV, Pulsed Light, Cold Plasma, Ozone, Membrane Processing
   • Fermentation Technology — Submerged, Solid State, Back Slopping, Starter Cultures, Scale-up, Bioreactors
   • Unit Operations — Mechanical (Cleaning, Sorting, Grading, Peeling, Size Reduction), Heat Transfer, Mass Transfer, Extrusion
   • Cereals & Pulses Processing — Milling, Parboiling, Puffing, Flaking, Malting, Pulse Milling, Oilseed Processing, Refining
   • Fruits & Vegetables Processing — Juice, Pulp, Concentrate, Jam, Jelly, Marmalade, Preserve, Pickle, Sauce, Canning, Dehydration, Minimal Processing
4. 4

   Food Safety, Standards & Quality Assurance

   ~20 marks

   • FSS Act 2006, Rules & Regulations 2011, Amendments, Definitions, Licensing, Registration, FSSAI Headquarters, State Bodies, Designated Officers, Food Safety Officers, Food Analysts, Adjudications, Appellate Tribunal
   • FSS Regulations — Licensing & Registration, Food Products Standards, Additives, Contaminants, Toxins, Residues, Packaging, Labelling, Fortification, Probiotic, Organic, GM, Speciality Foods, Proprietary Foods, Food for Special Dietary Uses, Infant Nutrition
   • Food Labelling — Mandatory & Voluntary Declarations, Date Marking (Use By, Best Before), Nutritional Information, Veg/Non-Veg Symbol, Allergen Declaration, Front-of-Pack, Claims (Nutrient, Health, Other), QR Code, Barcode, FOPL
   • Food Adulteration — Common Adulterants in Milk, Ghee, Honey, Spices, Cereals, Oils, Beverages, Detection Methods, FSSAI Surveys, Penalties
   • HACCP — Principles, Implementation, CCPs, Critical Limits, Monitoring, Corrective Actions, Verification, Documentation
   • Quality Management — ISO 9001, ISO 22000, ISO 14001, ISO 17025, BRC, SQF, FSSC 22000, BIS Standards, Codex Alimentarius, BPM, EHEDG, GFSI
   • GMP, GHP, GLP, Sanitation, Pest Control, Personal Hygiene, Cleaning Validation, Water Quality, Allergen Management
   • Food Fortification — Rice, Wheat Flour, Oil, Salt, Milk — Standards, Logo (+F), FFRC, FOSCOS, Rice Fortification Models
   • Organic, GM Foods, Novel Foods, Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, Health Foods, FSSAI Regulations, Jaivik Bharat Logo
   • Analytical & Lab Methods — FSSAI Manuals, AOAC, BIS, FSSAI Designated Labs, NABL Accreditation, Method Validation, Sampling, Reference Materials
   • International Standards — Codex Alimentarius, WTO/SPS, TBT Agreements, International Trade, Food Export, APEDA, MPEDA, EIA Notifications, USFDA, EFSA, EU Regulations, FSMA
5. 5

   Food Quality, Testing & Evaluation

   ~12 marks

   • Sensory Evaluation — Panel Selection, Discrimination Tests (Triangle, Duo-Trio, Paired), Descriptive Tests (Flavor Profile, Texture Profile), Hedonic Tests, Consumer Tests, ISO Standards
   • Instrumental Methods — Spectroscopy (UV-Vis, IR, NIR, FTIR, Raman, AAS, ICP-MS), Chromatography (HPLC, GC, LC-MS, GC-MS), Electrophoresis, NMR, MS, TGA, DSC, Particle Size Analyzer, Rheometer, Texture Analyzer
   • Physical Tests — Color, Texture (TPA, Penetration, Compression), Viscosity, Moisture, Water Activity, Particle Size, Density, Porosity
   • Chemical Tests — Moisture, Ash, Protein (Kjeldahl, Dumas), Fat (Soxhlet, Mojonnier), Fiber, Carbohydrate, pH, Acidity, Peroxide Value, TBA, Iodine Value, Salt
   • Microbiological Tests — TPC, Coliform, Yeast & Mold, Pathogen Detection, Rapid Methods, MPN
   • Shelf-life Testing, Accelerated Storage, Weibull Analysis, Predictive Modeling, Stability Studies, Packaging Interactions
   • Adulteration Detection — Tests for Milk (Urea, Starch, Detergent, Formalin), Ghee (Vanaspati, Mineral Oil), Honey (Sugar Syrup), Spices (Color, Sawdust), Oils (Argemone, Mineral Oil)
   • Specifications & Standards — FSSAI Standards, Codex, BIS, ISO, Sampling Plans, Acceptance Sampling, QC Documentation, COA, COC
6. 6

   Food Packaging

   ~8 marks

   • Packaging Materials — Glass, Metal (Tin, Aluminium), Plastics (PE, PP, PET, PVC, PS, EVOH, PVDC), Paper, Paperboard, Biodegradable, Edible, Active, Intelligent, Smart, Nano-packaging, MAP, CAP, Vacuum, Aseptic, Retort Pouches
   • Packaging Properties — Permeability, Migration, Shelf-life, Barrier Properties, Mechanical, Optical, Chemical, Microbial
   • Packaging Machinery — Filling, Sealing, Capping, Labelling, Wrapping, Aseptic Packaging, Form-Fill-Seal (FFS)
   • Packaging Regulations — FSSAI, BIS, Recycled Plastics, BPA, Phthalates, Migration Limits, EPR
   • Active & Intelligent Packaging — Oxygen Scavengers, Moisture Absorbers, Ethylene Absorbers, Antimicrobial, Time-Temperature Indicators, Freshness Indicators, Sensors
   • Labelling & Coding — Date Coding, Lot/Batch, Nutrition Labels, Barcode, QR, RFID, FOPL, Sustainability Labels
7. 7

   Nutrition & Dietetics

   ~8 marks

   • Macro & Micronutrients — Sources, Functions, RDA, Deficiency, Toxicity, Bioavailability, Interactions
   • Balanced Diet, My Plate, My Pyramid, Dietary Guidelines for Indians (NIN/ICMR), Food Groups
   • Nutrition through Life Cycle — Pregnancy, Lactation, Infancy, Childhood, Adolescence, Adulthood, Old Age, Special Conditions
   • Therapeutic Nutrition — Diabetes, Hypertension, CVD, Renal, Liver, Cancer, Obesity, Allergies, GI Disorders, Enteral/Parenteral Nutrition
   • Nutritional Deficiency Disorders — PEM, Anemia, Vitamin A, Iodine, Rickets, Beriberi, Scurvy, Pellagra, B-12
   • National Nutritional Programs — ICDS, Mid-Day Meal, POSHAN Abhiyaan, Vitamin A, IFA Supplementation, Food Fortification, IYCF
   • Food Allergy, Intolerance, Celiac, Lactose Intolerance, FODMAP, Gluten-free, Allergen Management, FALCPA, FSSAI Allergen Regulations
8. 8

   Food Engineering & Plant Design

   ~8 marks

   • Mass & Energy Balances in Food Processing, Unit Operations Design
   • Heat Transfer — Conduction, Convection, Radiation, Heat Exchangers (Plate, Shell & Tube, Scraped Surface)
   • Mass Transfer — Diffusion, Distillation, Extraction, Absorption, Drying, Crystallization, Membrane Separation
   • Fluid Mechanics — Rheology (Newtonian, Non-Newtonian, Viscosity, Thixotropy), Pumps, Piping, Flow Measurement
   • Plant Design, Layout, Material Handling, Process Flow Diagrams, P&ID, Equipment Selection, Capacity Planning, Plant Sanitation
   • Automation in Food Processing — PLC, SCADA, Sensors, IoT, Industry 4.0, AI/ML Applications
   • Food Industry Waste Management — Solid, Liquid, ETP, Biogas, Composting, By-product Utilization, Circular Economy
   • Energy Conservation, Renewable Energy, Solar Drying, Biogas, Sustainable Manufacturing
9. 9

   Food Safety Management Systems

   ~8 marks

   • Regulatory Bodies & Their Roles — FSSAI, BIS, APEDA, MPEDA, Tea Board, Coffee Board, Spices Board, EIC, Export Inspection Council, FCI, Customs
   • Licensing & Registration — FoSCoS, State-wise, Product Approval, Novel Food Approval, Recall, Adjudication, Appellate
   • Food Safety Audits — Internal, External, Surveillance, Third-party, Auditors, Compliance, Corrective Actions
   • Food Traceability — One-up, One-down, FSMA 204, FSSAI TraceNet, B2C Traceability, Lot Identification, Block Chain
   • Food Recall — Voluntary, Mandatory, Class I/II/III, FSSAI Guidelines, Mock Drills, Communication, Disposal
   • Food Fraud, Authenticity, Adulteration, Mislabeling, SSAFE, Food Defense, Intentional Adulteration
   • Consumer Protection Act 2019, Food Consumer Rights, CCPA, Redressal Forums, E-Daakhil
   • International Trade & Standards — Codex, WTO/SPS/TBT, USFDA, EU, FSS, JAS, ISO, BIS, Harmonization, Equivalence