Maharashtra HSC Food Products Technology (Vocational) study plan

Define water activity, moisture content, bound water and free water, and convert values between wet-basis and dry-basis in at least 8 worked numericals.

Classify carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and vitamins by their functional role in food (gelatinisation, dextrinisation, denaturation, emulsification, rancidity) and attach one named food example to each.

Distinguish Maillard browning, caramelisation and enzymatic browning, and list the pH, temperature and inhibitor conditions that speed up or slow each one.

Explain the chemistry behind pigment and vitamin loss during heating, cutting and storage, and state one control measure for each loss.

Solve proximate-composition problems by converting percentage composition into g/100 g, dry-basis values and calorie estimates.

Compare bacteria, yeast and mould on water activity, pH, temperature range and oxygen need, and name one spoilage or pathogenic organism typical of cereals, dairy, meat and canned foods.

Draw and label the bacterial growth curve, then explain each phase with one preservation method that acts on that phase.

Calculate D-value, z-value, F0 and the 12-D reduction for a named low-acid canned food, and interpret what each number means on a process schedule.

Outline the stepwise microbiology of lactic acid fermentation in curd, idli/dosa batter and sauerkraut, naming the organisms at each stage.

Identify the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that allow Clostridium botulinum, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella to grow, and the hurdle that blocks each.

Justify the choice of preservation method for 8 given foods using the hurdle concept, naming the hurdles in order of importance.

Explain the mechanism and nutrient impact of blanching, pasteurisation, commercial sterilisation, evaporation and the main drying methods (tray, drum, spray, freeze-drying).

Interpret a drying curve and calculate moisture removed and final moisture for a given feed using a simple mass balance.

Describe the working principle and the practical limits of irradiation, high-pressure processing, pulsed electric field and ohmic heating.

Calculate process time or concentration end-point for an evaporation or drying problem and state the assumption behind each formula used.

Sequence the unit operations in fruit and vegetable processing from receiving through sorting, grading, washing, peeling, blanching, pulping and concentration, stating the control point at each step.

Formulate recipes for jam, jelly, marmalade, squash, ketchup and canned vegetables by fixing Brix, pH, pectin and permitted preservative levels.

Explain the pectin–sugar–acid gelation mechanism and diagnose three common faults (failure to set, crystallisation, syneresis) with their causes.

Calculate product yield and adjust Brix using mass balance or the Pearson square method for a dilution or blending problem.

List the causes of spoilage in canned, frozen and dehydrated fruit and vegetable products, and match each cause to a preventive control.

Compare the composition of cow and buffalo milk and explain chilling, filtration, homogenisation, HTST and UHT processing with their time–temperature combinations.

Describe the manufacture of butter, ghee, paneer, cheese, yoghurt and ice cream, and mark the critical control point in each flow.

Outline wheat cleaning, conditioning and milling into maida, sooji and atta, and state the quality test applied to each stream.

Explain the bread-making steps, the role of gluten and yeast, and diagnose three bread faults from their cause.

Explain sugar cookery stages from thread to hard crack and match each stage to a named confectionery product.

Differentiate pulse milling (dal) methods and explain oil extraction by ghani, expeller and solvent extraction along with the refining steps that follow.

Explain rigor mortis, ageing, tenderisation, curing, smoking and canning of meat, and state the temperature control needed at each stage.

Describe poultry and fish handling from harvest to chilled and frozen storage, including the limits for temperature and time.

Explain egg grading, internal quality measures such as Haugh unit, and the manufacture of egg powder.

Calculate expected yield or overrun for one meat, fish or dairy product and compare it with the standard value.

Select packaging material for 8 foods by comparing water vapour and oxygen transmission, grease resistance and light barrier, and name the standard test used for each property.

Compare MAP, vacuum packing, aseptic filling, retort pouching and edible coatings, and match each to a suitable product category.

State the mandatory FSSAI label declarations and distinguish a nutritional claim from a health claim.

Describe grain storage in godowns and controlled-atmosphere storage, and the cold-chain requirements for transporting perishable foods.

Explain the seven HACCP principles, GMP, GHP, sanitation, traceability and recall, and locate three CCPs in a named process.

Describe rapid adulteration tests for milk, oil and spices and interpret the result of each.

Explain food plant layout, materials handling, cleaning-in-place, personal hygiene and waste disposal, and identify one violation in each area from a written scenario.

Prepare a business plan for a small food unit covering cost of production, pricing, break-even quantity, and the licences required (FSSAI, GST, Udyam registration) with the government scheme that supports it.

Perform and record the laboratory procedures for moisture, ash, fat, titratable acidity, TSS by refractometer, pH and standard plate count, and state the acceptable range for one product.

Evaluate your weak areas from the earlier milestones and re-solve every missed numerical until each is correct without notes.