Lathyrism in human beings is caused by the prolonged consumption of which of the following?
- A.Khesari dal
- B.Argemone seeds
- C.Metanil yellow
- D.Chicory
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, khesari dal. Khesari dal, botanically Lathyrus sativus and also called grass pea, is a hardy pulse that survives drought and is therefore sometimes mixed with arhar dal or besan. It contains the neurotoxin beta-N-oxalyl-amino-L-alanine, and eating it as a major part of the diet for months damages the motor neurons of the spinal cord, producing lathyrism: stiffness and spastic paralysis of the lower limbs, mainly in young men. Option B is wrong because argemone seeds, mixed into mustard oil, cause epidemic dropsy, a disease of the blood vessels, not a paralysis. Option C is wrong because metanil yellow is a non-permitted coal-tar dye used to brighten turmeric, pulses and sweets, and it is linked to damage of the liver and nervous tissue rather than to lathyrism. Option D is wrong because chicory root is an adulterant of coffee powder that dilutes the product without causing lathyrism.
Read the full article: Food Preservation, Adulteration and Food Safety Notes
Practice Questions
View allFruits stored in a cold chamber exhibit longer storage life because
- A.exposure to sunlight is prevented
- B.concentration of carbon dioxide in the environment is increased
- C.rate of respiration is decreased
- D.there is an increase in humidity
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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.
Read the full explanation →The adulteration of mustard oil with argemone oil causes which disease?
- A.Lathyrism
- B.Epidemic dropsy
- C.Fluorosis
- D.Minamata disease
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Argemone mexicana, the prickly poppy known in India as satyanashi, has seeds that look very like mustard seeds, so its oil is a classic adulterant of mustard oil.
Read the full explanation →In the high-temperature short-time (HTST) method of pasteurisation, milk is heated to about:
- A.63 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes
- B.72 degrees Celsius for 15 seconds
- C.100 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes
- D.150 degrees Celsius for 2 seconds
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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.
Read the full explanation →Lyophilisation, used to make instant coffee and to preserve vaccines, is the technical name for which process?
- A.Pasteurisation
- B.Freeze-drying
- C.Canning
- D.Irradiation
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In lyophilisation the material is first frozen and then placed under a strong vacuum, so that the ice changes directly into vapour without passing through the liquid state.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is a Class I preservative under Indian food standards?
- A.Sodium benzoate
- B.Sulphur dioxide
- C.Common salt
- D.Potassium sorbate
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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.
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