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General ScienceMedium

In the high-temperature short-time (HTST) method of pasteurisation, milk is heated to about:

  1. A.63 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes
  2. B.72 degrees Celsius for 15 seconds
  3. C.100 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes
  4. D.150 degrees Celsius for 2 seconds

Correct answer

B. 72 degrees Celsius for 15 seconds

Explanation

The correct answer is B, about 72 degrees Celsius for 15 seconds, followed by rapid cooling to about 4 degrees Celsius. Pasteurisation is not sterilisation: it is a mild heating that kills disease-causing organisms such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Salmonella and Brucella and most spoilage bacteria, while leaving the taste and nutritive value of milk largely unchanged. The flash or HTST method is what large dairies use because it is continuous and quick. Option A is wrong only as the HTST figure; 63 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes is the older low-temperature long-time or holding method, done in batches. Option C is wrong because heating milk at 100 degrees Celsius is boiling or sterilisation, which alters the flavour and destroys part of the vitamin content. Option D is wrong because treatment at about 135 to 150 degrees Celsius for a few seconds is ultra-high temperature processing, which gives long-life packaged milk rather than ordinary pasteurised milk.

Read the full article: Food Preservation, Adulteration and Food Safety Notes

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Q1.General ScienceAsked in: UPSC Civil Services 2013Medium

Fruits stored in a cold chamber exhibit longer storage life because

  1. A.exposure to sunlight is prevented
  2. B.concentration of carbon dioxide in the environment is increased
  3. C.rate of respiration is decreased
  4. D.there is an increase in humidity
Show answer
Correct answer: C. rate of respiration is decreased

A harvested fruit is still a living tissue that keeps respiring, using up its own sugars and acids and giving off heat, carbon dioxide and ethylene.

Q5.General ScienceHard

Which of the following is a Class I preservative under Indian food standards?

  1. A.Sodium benzoate
  2. B.Sulphur dioxide
  3. C.Common salt
  4. D.Potassium sorbate
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Common salt

Indian food standards divide preservatives into two classes. Class I preservatives are the natural ones that cooks have always used, and no limit is placed on the quantity: common salt, sugar, dextrose, spices, vinegar or acetic acid, honey and edible vegetable oils.