Maharashtra HSC Food Products Technology (Vocational) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Water activity

Ratio of the vapour pressure of water in a food to that of pure water at the same temperature; it controls microbial growth and chemical reaction rates.

Isoelectric point of casein

pH 4.6, at which casein carries no net charge and precipitates; this is the basis of acid coagulation in curd, paneer and chhana making.

Maillard reaction

Non-enzymatic browning between reducing sugars and amino groups of proteins, favoured by water activity 0.6–0.8 and heat; it produces brown pigments and flavour compounds.

Peroxide value

Milliequivalents of active oxygen per kilogram of fat; it measures primary lipid oxidation products (hydroperoxides) and is used to judge rancidity in oils.

D value

Time in minutes at a given temperature to reduce a microbial population by 90 percent, or one log cycle; it is used to compare heat resistance.

Homofermentative lactic acid bacteria

Bacteria such as Lactobacillus delbrueckii that convert glucose almost entirely to lactic acid, giving a sharp pH drop in fermented milks and vegetables.

Idli fermentation

Natural fermentation of rice and black gram batter by Leuconostoc mesenteroides and yeasts, producing carbon dioxide for sponginess and lactic acid for sourness.

F0 value

Equivalent heating time in minutes at 121°C required to achieve a specified reduction; a 12-D process for Clostridium botulinum spores has F0 of about 2.5 minutes.

HTST pasteurisation

Heating milk at 72°C for 15 seconds followed by rapid cooling; it kills pathogens with minimal change to flavour and is verified by the phosphatase test.

Hurdle technology

Combining several mild preservation factors such as reduced water activity, low pH, chilling and preservatives so that no single factor alone must be severe.

Pectin sugar acid gel

Jam and jelly set requires pectin about 0.5–1.0 percent, soluble solids 65–68 °Brix and pH 3.0–3.5; too little acid or sugar prevents gel formation.

FPO squash standard

Fruit squash must contain at least 25 percent fruit juice and 40–45 percent total soluble solids, with permitted preservative as sulphur dioxide or benzoic acid.

Blanching of vegetables

Brief hot water or steam treatment at 90–100°C for 1–3 minutes that inactivates enzymes, fixes colour, removes air and shrinks tissue before canning or freezing.

Phosphatase test

Test of pasteurisation efficiency in milk that detects residual alkaline phosphatase enzyme; a negative result means the milk was properly heated.

Homogenisation of milk

Forcing milk through a narrow valve at 150–200 bar to break fat globules below 2 micrometres, preventing cream separation and improving product stability.

Pearson square

A calculation method for blending two streams of different fat content, such as milk and cream, to obtain a target fat percentage in the standardised product.

Gluten

Protein complex of gliadin and glutenin formed when wheat flour is wetted; it gives dough its extensibility and gas-holding capacity needed for bread.

Straight-dough bread formula

Per 100 kg flour: 60–65 kg water, 1.5–2 kg yeast, 1.5–2 kg salt, 2–4 kg sugar and 2–4 kg fat; fermented 2–3 hours at 27–30°C.

Parboiling of rice

Soaking paddy, steaming and drying before milling; it gelatinises starch, drives vitamins into the grain and reduces milling breakage, giving firmer cooked rice.

Invert sugar

Mixture of glucose and fructose produced by acid or enzyme hydrolysis of sucrose; it resists crystallisation and is used in confectionery and soft drinks.

Rigor mortis

Stiffening of muscle after death when ATP is depleted and actin and myosin lock together; it resolves during ageing as enzymes tenderise the meat.

PSE meat

Pale, soft and exudative pork caused by a rapid post-mortem pH fall while the carcass is still warm, leading to protein denaturation and high drip loss.

Haugh unit

A measure of egg albumen quality calculated from egg weight and thick albumen height; higher values indicate fresher, better-quality eggs.

Modified atmosphere packaging

Replacing air in a package with a gas mixture, typically 30–60 percent carbon dioxide with reduced oxygen, to slow respiration and microbial growth.

Water vapour transmission rate

Mass of water vapour passing through unit area of film per unit time at specified conditions; a lower value means a better moisture barrier for dry foods.

Cold chain

Unbroken series of refrigerated storage and transport steps from harvest or processing to retail, keeping perishable foods within their required temperature range.

Critical control point

A step in the process where a control measure can be applied to prevent, eliminate or reduce a significant food safety hazard to an acceptable level.

FSSAI State licence

Required for food businesses with annual turnover between 12 lakh and 20 crore rupees; basic registration covers smaller units and a central licence covers larger ones.

Coliform count

Indicator test for hygiene, since coliforms are destroyed by proper heating and their presence in a ready-to-eat food suggests post-process contamination or poor sanitation.

Break-even point

Output level where total revenue equals total cost, calculated as fixed cost divided by contribution per unit (selling price minus variable cost).

Soxhlet extraction

Laboratory method for determining crude fat: solvent repeatedly percolates through the sample, dissolving fat, which is weighed after solvent evaporation.

Kjeldahl method

Digestion of sample with sulphuric acid, distillation of ammonia and titration to estimate nitrogen; crude protein equals nitrogen multiplied by 6.25.