IGNOU MFN-03
- Food Microbiology and Safety,
Latest Solved Assignment
(July 2024 - January 2025)

Section A –Descriptive Questions

1. a) Briefly discuss the role of microorganisms in fermented foods. Substantiate your answer by highlighting the common microbes used in food fermentation and the fermented products obtained.
b) What is a bacterial growth curve? Describe the stages of bacterial growth.

2. a) Discuss the use of chemicals as a measure to control and destroy microorganisms in foods.
b) Explain the factors which influence spoilage of the following foods:
i) Milk and Milk products
ii) Meat

3. a) Mention the microorganisms involved with the following food borne diseases. What measures will you adopt to decrease the risk of infection with regards to each?
i) Botulism
ii) Shigellosis
b) Explain the anti-nutritional factors found in food.

4. a) What are the various toxicants in animal foods? Explain giving examples.
b) Discuss the uses of preservatives, anti-caking agents, emulsifying agents as additives in food industry.

5. a).What are the harmful effects of food adulteration?
b) How will you detect the following in the context of adulteration:
i) Artificial colour added to tea leaves.
ii) Silver foil replaced by aluminum foil
iii) Vanaspati added to Ghee
iv) Metanil yellow added to Turmeric powder

6. a) Describe the food safety measures that should be observed on the premises of a catering establishment?
b) What are street foods? How can we ensure safety and quality of raw materials used in preparation of street foods?

7. a) What are the common disinfectants used in food industry?
b) Enlist the hygiene requirements for licensing and sale of food items in India.

8. a) Discuss the toxicity hazard linked with the interaction between packaging material and food.
b) Give one example each of the uses of the following packaging material:
i) Paper
ii) Paper Boards
iii) Polyethylene
iv) Laminated films
c) List the mandatory labeling requirements of pre-packaged foods.

9. a) Why is risk assessment important? List the four steps involved in risk assessment.
b) Explain the role of critical control points in the implementation of HACCP.

10. a) Describe briefly the role of voluntary product certification with regard to food safety.
b) Define the sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures (SPS) and technical barriers to trade (TBT) agreements.

Section B - OTQ (Objective Type Questions)

1. Explain the following briefly in 2-3 sentences each:

i) Biological Hazard
ii) GM Foods
iii) Irradiation
iv) MAP
v) VOD
vi) Arsenic Poisoning
vii) CODEX
viii) QUATS
ix) GRAS
x) Food safety management system

2. Differentiate between the following set of terms with examples:

i) Food infection and Food intoxication
ii) Direct food additive and Indirect food additive
iii) Vacuum packaging and Gas packaging
iv) Registration and Licensing
v) Thermophiles and Psychrophiles

3. Match the items in List I to items in List II :

Section A –Descriptive Questions
There are ten questions in this part. Answer all questions.
1. a) Enumerate the various physical, chemical and biological hazards that may be present in our food.
b) List the factors which affect the growth of microorganisms. Explain briefly any two of these factors.

2. a) Describe the chemical changes due to spoilage with respect to nutrients present in the food when bacteria acts upon them.
b) Give the different types of spoilage in the following foods, giving the microorganisms involved:
(i) Fruits and Vegetables
(ii) Fish

3. Define food borne diseases. Enumerate the various food born infections, food intoxications, food borne toxic infections affecting food safety, giving examples.

4. a) Define the term 'food contamination'. Briefly discuss the different types of environmental contaminants that impact food safety.
b) Write a brief review on naturally occurring toxicants in plant foods.

5. a).What is a food additive? Give the functional role of any two food additives.
b). Explain the role of Codex Alimentarius Commission in food regulations.

6. a). What is adulteration ? What are reasons for adulterations?
b) Give any four adulterants giving their harmful effects.

7. a) Explain the factors to be considered for ensuring safety of street foods.
b) Describe the basic criteria to be considered while selecting equipments and utensils of a catering establishment.
c) What are the personal hygiene guidelines for employees of a food service unit?

8. Discuss the following:
a) Health status of food handlers and its impact on food safety.
b) The various cleaning agents and waste disposal used for sanitation in food industry.

9. a) What is food packaging? What are various methods of packaging employed in the food industry? Enumerate, giving examples.
b) Briefly describe some toxicity hazards which result from interactions between packaging and food.

10. a) What do you understand by risk communication? List the various agencies which are responsible for the process of risk communication.
b) Discuss the need and relevance of HACCP in the context of food safety.

Section B - OTQ (Objective Type Questions)
1. Explain the following briefly in 2-3 sentences each:
i) Probiotics
ii) Facultative anaerobes
iii) Putrefaction
iv) Neurotoxin
v) Polychlorinated biphenyls
vi) GRAS food additives
vii)Exhausted spices
viii)Iodophors
ix) Shrink wrapping
x) Acceptable Daily Intake

2. Differentiate between the following set of terms with examples :
i) Nutrition labeling and Nutrition claim
ii) Prions and Dioxins
iii) Hazard and Toxicity
iv) Food Contaminations and Food Adulteration
v) Gram positive cell wall and Gram negative cell wall

3. Match the items in List I to items in List II :
List I                                                 List II
I Shigella                                       A Aspergillus flavus
II Aflatoxicosis                             B Predisposes to iodine deficiency disorders
III Potato                                      C Fermented fresh cabbage
IV Goitrogens                              D Fermented milk
V Sauerkraut                               E Solanine
F Motile ,gram negative flagellated rods
G Non-motile, non-spore forming gram negative rods