Q1. ________ is a salient characteristic for fried snack foods, and its loss due to absorption of moisture is a major cause of snack food rejection by consumers.

1. Taste
2. Crispiness
3. Odour
4. Flavour

ANSWER: B. Crispiness

• Explanation: Crispness is a key textural quality of fried snack items, and its loss owing to moisture absorption is a primary reason for customer rejection. Water changes the texture of snack foods by softening and plasticizing the starch/protein matrix, reducing the product’s mechanical strength. Potato chips have a crucial aw of 0.40, according to reports. Potato chips became organoleptically undesirable at 0.51 aw, according to a larger investigation involving sensory panels.

READ MORE – Food Science & Technology Quiz (16-04-2022)

Q2. The storage life of shelled, roasted, and salted peanuts was reported as ________ at room temperature

1. 1 week
2. 2 weeks
3. 3 weeks
4. 4 weeks

ANSWER: C. 3 weeks

• Explanation – At room temperature, shelled, roasted, and salted peanuts have a storage life of three weeks, but this can be extended by packaging in inert gas or vacuum, or by lowering the storage temperature. It was critical to avoid moisture condensation on the peanuts, as deposition of a monomolecular layer of moisture on the product has been found to enhance the rate of deterioration by two to three times.

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Q3. The adsorption of CO2 by cereals, grains, and nuts is well documented and led to the development of a technique for cereal skin packaging known as?

1. Retort packaging
2. CEM
3. Vacuum packaging
4. CAP

ANSWER – B. CEM

• Explanation: The well-documented CO2 adsorption by cereals, grains, and nuts led to the creation of CEM, a cereal skin packaging technology (CO2 Exchange Method). Cereals are wrapped in CO2 in a plastic bag with a low gas permeability, which is then sealed. As CO2 gas is absorbed by the cereals, the package volume steadily shrinks until a skin package is formed.

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Q4. The critical aw for extruded rice snacks has been reported to be _______ which corresponds to 6.5% moisture content.

1. 0.23
2. 0.33
3. 0.43
4. 0.53

ANSWER: C. 0.43

• Explanation:  The loss of crispness is the most common cause of extruded and puffed food deterioration. Puffed corn curl has a critical aw of 0.36, which translates to a moisture content of 4.2 g water per 100 g solids. Initial and critical aw values for popcorn were 0.062 and 0.49, respectively, with moisture concentrations of 1.70 and 6.1 g water per 100 g solids. Extruded rice snacks have a critical aw of 0.43, which equates to a moisture level of 6.5 percent. Stale, oxidized, and rancid flavors and odors can also shorten the shelf life of some extruded and puffed treats.

READ MORE – Food Science & Technology Quiz (09-04-2022)

Q5. Water activity is influenced by the presence of __________ in confections.

1. Polyols
2. Dissolved sugars
3. Salts
4. All of the above

ANSWER: D. All of the above

• Explanation – The fundamental concern with confections is the end of shelf life owing to moisture loss or increase, which results in changes in textural and other qualities. As a result, knowing how to manage water activity is crucial for shelf life and stability. With few exceptions, water activity in confections is below essential levels for microbial growth. The amount of dissolved sugars, additional sweeteners (e.g. polyols), salts (e.g. caramel), and humectants in confections affect water activity. Microbial growth is inversely proportional to aw, with certain bacteria unable to thrive when water activity falls below a specific threshold.

READ MORE – Food Science & Technology Quiz (09-05-2022)

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