WBPSC Food SI key terms

The deliberate addition of inferior, harmful, or unauthorised substances to a food to increase bulk, cut cost, or improve appearance. It is an offence under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, a statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It frames science-based standards for food articles and regulates their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import across the country.

The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 is India's single umbrella law on food, consolidating earlier statutes such as the PFA Act. It established FSSAI and prescribes standards, duties of food business operators, and penalties for unsafe food.

An officer appointed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 to inspect food businesses, draw samples, seize unsafe articles, and launch prosecution. The post is a common recruitment target in West Bengal state government examinations.

Under the FSS Act, food business operators must hold an FSSAI licence or, for small-scale operators, a registration certificate. The type required depends on annual turnover and scale of operation, and the document must be displayed at the premises.

A person or entity carrying on any activity related to manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transport, distribution, or sale of food. The FBO is legally responsible for the safety and compliance of the food it handles.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, a preventive food safety system. It identifies biological, chemical, and physical hazards, sets control points at critical steps, and monitors them so that risks are prevented rather than detected only in the final product.

A set of minimum hygiene and process conditions covering premises, equipment, personnel, and handling that a food unit must maintain. GMP ensures food is produced under sanitary conditions and is a prerequisite for systems such as HACCP.

A collection of internationally adopted food standards, guidelines, and codes of practice framed by a joint FAO and WHO commission. It serves as the reference for trade disputes and for harmonising national food standards, including India's.

A certification mark for agricultural produce in India, administered under the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act. It grades commodities such as ghee, honey, and spices against defined quality standards, assuring the buyer of grade and purity.

The certification mark of the Bureau of Indian Standards, applied to products conforming to an Indian Standard. For food, it appears on items such as packaged drinking water and infant formula, indicating conformity to specified safety and quality parameters.

The Bureau of Indian Standards is the national standards body of India, established by the BIS Act. It formulates Indian Standards, operates product certification schemes, and runs laboratory testing and hallmarking programmes for goods including food products.

Labelling a food article in a false, misleading, or non-compliant manner, such as giving a wrong brand name, false nutritional claims, or omitting mandatory declarations. It is a punishable offence distinct from adulteration under food law.

The mandatory information printed on a food package, including name of the food, ingredients, net quantity, nutritional information, date of manufacture or best-before, batch number, and FSSAI licence number. Labels must not mislead the consumer.

A heat treatment that kills disease-causing bacteria in liquids such as milk and juice by heating to a controlled temperature for a set time, usually followed by rapid cooling. It extends shelf life while retaining most nutrients and flavour.

A process that destroys all microorganisms, including bacterial spores, in a food or on equipment. In food technology it is commonly achieved by high-temperature treatment such as autoclaving or ultra-high-temperature processing of milk.

An unbroken series of refrigerated storage and transport steps from production to consumption that keeps perishable food within a safe temperature range. Any break in the chain allows microbial growth and spoilage.

Food that spoils quickly because of high moisture and nutrient content, such as milk, meat, fish, and fresh vegetables. It needs refrigeration, rapid consumption, or preservation to remain safe and wholesome.

Any method used to slow or stop spoilage and prevent food-borne illness, including drying, salting, canning, freezing, pickling, and irradiation. Preservation works by removing moisture, lowering temperature, or inhibiting microbial growth.

Illness caused by eating food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins, or chemicals. Common examples include Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus poisoning, and symptoms usually appear within hours to days of consumption.

The transfer of harmful microorganisms or chemicals from one food, surface, or utensil to another. Using the same unwashed board for raw meat and cooked food is a classic example and a major cause of food poisoning.

A nutrient required by the body in relatively large amounts to supply energy and building material: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Each provides a defined energy yield per gram and is essential for growth and maintenance.

A nutrient needed by the body in small quantities, chiefly vitamins and minerals. Micronutrients do not supply energy but are essential for metabolism, immunity, and growth; their deficiency causes conditions such as anaemia and night blindness.

A diet supplying all essential nutrients in correct proportion and adequate quantity for a person's age, sex, and activity level. It includes cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, milk, and fats in recommended amounts.

A protein that acts as a biological catalyst, speeding up chemical reactions in living cells and in food processing without being consumed. Examples include amylase, protease, and rennet used in cheese making.

A metabolic process in which microorganisms such as yeast or bacteria convert sugars into acids, gases, or alcohol. It is used to make foods like curd, idli, bread, and vinegar, and also helps preserve food by lowering pH.

An organic compound required in small amounts that the body cannot synthesise sufficiently and must obtain from food. Vitamins are classified as fat-soluble (A, D, E, K) and water-soluble (B group and C).

The amount of a pesticide or its breakdown products remaining on or in food after application. Food safety law sets maximum residue limits, and exceeding them makes the produce unsafe for consumption.

The highest permitted concentration of a pesticide residue legally allowed in or on a food commodity. It is fixed on the basis of toxicological assessment and good agricultural practice, and non-compliance attracts regulatory action.

The deliberate addition of essential micronutrients to a staple food to improve its nutritional quality and correct widespread deficiency. Examples include iodised salt, iron-fortified wheat flour, and vitamin A fortified edible oil.

A right guaranteed to citizens under Part III of the Indian Constitution and enforceable in the Supreme Court and High Courts through writs. Examples include equality before law, freedom of speech, and the right to life and personal liberty.

Guidelines in Part IV of the Indian Constitution directing the state to promote social and economic welfare, such as public health and nutrition. They are not enforceable in courts but are fundamental in governance.

The three-tier system of local self-government in rural India, established by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992. It operates at village, block, and district levels and handles functions devolved by the state.

A formal order issued by a court directing a person or authority to act or refrain from acting. The Constitution empowers the Supreme Court and High Courts to issue writs such as habeas corpus, mandamus, and certiorari.

A crop sown with the onset of the monsoon and harvested in autumn, such as rice, jute, maize, and cotton. Kharif cultivation dominates West Bengal agriculture because of the state's heavy monsoon rainfall.

A crop sown in winter and harvested in spring, such as wheat, mustard, gram, and potato. Rabi crops depend on residual soil moisture or irrigation and are important in the drier western parts of West Bengal.

Fertile soil deposited by rivers, rich in potash and lime but often low in nitrogen and organic matter. It covers much of the Gangetic plain and the delta, making it the base of West Bengal's rice cultivation.

The world's largest mangrove forest, spread across the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta in West Bengal and Bangladesh. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a tiger reserve, and a natural barrier against cyclones.

A tract of land lying between two converging rivers. In West Bengal the term appears in regional geography for the land between the Bhagirathi and other distributaries, and it is a standard physical geography term in Indian examinations.