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GATE XE previous-year paper

GATE XE 2026 Food Technology question paper

Food Technology questions
22
Food Technology marks
35
Full paper marks
281
Duration
180 min

What the 2026 paper contained

Sections, questions and marks in the 2026 paper
Section Questions Marks Question types
General Aptitude 5 8 5 MCQ
Engineering Mathematics 10 14 3 MCQ, 3 MSQ, 4 NAT
Fluid Mechanics 21 34 11 MCQ, 3 MSQ, 7 NAT
Materials Science 21 33 7 MCQ, 6 MSQ, 8 NAT
Solid Mechanics 16 25 6 MCQ, 1 MSQ, 9 NAT
Thermodynamics 19 31 5 MCQ, 3 MSQ, 11 NAT
Polymer Science and Engineering 20 32 11 MCQ, 3 MSQ, 6 NAT
Food Technology 22 35 12 MCQ, 5 MSQ, 5 NAT
Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences 21 34 7 MCQ, 4 MSQ, 10 NAT
Energy Science 22 35 10 MCQ, 4 MSQ, 8 NAT

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Food Technology questions, 2026 — with answer key

22 questions, with the answer marked.

Q132 MCQ 1 mark
Ergotism is caused by ingestion of grains infected with
  1. A. Clostridium perfringens
  2. B. Rhizopus stolonifer
  3. C. Lactococcus lactis
  4. D. Claviceps purpurea correct
Q133 MCQ 1 mark
Match the bacteria in Column I with their respective characteristic features in
Column II.

Column I
Column II
(P) E. coli
(1) Gram-positive, round-shaped and
non-spore formers
(Q) B. subtilis
(2) Gram-negative, rod-shaped and
non-spore formers
(R) S. aureus
(3) Gram-positive, rod-shaped and
spore formers
(S) L. monocytogenes
(4) Gram-positive, rod-shaped and
non-spore formers
  1. A. P-1; Q-4; R-2; S-3
  2. B. P-2; Q-1; R-3; S-4
  3. C. P-2; Q-3; R-1; S-4 correct
  4. D. P-2; Q-4; R-1; S-3
Q134 MCQ 1 mark
Carmine, a food colorant, is derived from
  1. A. Curcuma longa
  2. B. Dactylopius coccus correct
  3. C. Beta vulgaris
  4. D. Monascus purpureus
Q135 MCQ 1 mark
Which one of the following carbohydrates is NOT a storage polysaccharide?
  1. A. Starch
  2. B. Glycogen
  3. C. Chitin correct
  4. D. Dextran
Q136 MCQ 1 mark
Which one of the following statements is true for a high-pressure homogenizer?
  1. A. Homogenization takes place only due to uniform mixing of solid and liquid
  2. B. Solid particles in the suspension are disintegrated due to the high shear rate exerted by the liquid correct
  3. C. High pressure steam is injected to dissolve the solids
  4. D. Solid particles in the suspension are compressed into a cake under high pressure
Q137 MCQ 1 mark
Coconut oil contains a small fraction of unsaturated fatty acids, but still has a low
melting point due to the presence of
  1. A. large amounts of long chain saturated fatty acids
  2. B. mostly medium chain saturated fatty acids such as lauric acid correct
  3. C. few hydrogen bonds per fatty acid chain
  4. D. higher cholesterol content
Q138 MSQ 1 mark
Which of the following amines, produced as a result of protein degradation, is/are
foul smelling?
  1. A. Histamine
  2. B. Cadaverine correct
  3. C. Tyramine
  4. D. Putrescine correct
Q139 NAT 1 mark
Water is flowing at 100 litres/min through a pipe with a diameter of 5 cm. Assume
the coefficient of viscosity of water to be 0.001 Pa.s and the density to be
1000 kg/m3. The Reynolds number for this flow is _______
(Round off to nearest integer)

Correct: 42000 to 43000

Q140 NAT 1 mark
A wet solid, fed to a dryer at a rate of 5 kg/s, is dried using hot air. In this process
its moisture content is reduced from 25% to 15%. The rate of moisture removal
is _______ kg/s. (Round off to two decimal places)

Correct: 0.55 to 0.65

Q141 MCQ 2 marks
Match the toxins in Column I with their respective sources in Column II.






Column I
Column II
P. Aflatoxin 1. Fusarium verticilloides
Q. Nisin 2. Enterohemorrhagic E. coli
R. Fumonisin
3. Lactococcus lactis
S. Shiga-like toxin
4. Aspergillus flavus
  1. A. P-1; Q-2; R-3; S-4
  2. B. P-4; Q-1; R-2; S-3
  3. C. P-4; Q-3; R-1; S-2 correct
  4. D. P-1; Q-3; R-2; S-4
Q142 MCQ 2 marks
Match the vitamins in Column I with their respective coenzyme forms listed in
Column II.

Column I
Column II
P. Vitamin B1
1. Tetrahydrofolate
Q. Vitamin B2
2. Methylcobalamin
R. Pantothenic acid
3. Thiamine pyrophosphate
S. Vitamin B12
4. Flavin adenine dinucleotide
T. Folic acid
5. Coenzyme A
  1. A. P-3; Q-4; R-5; S-2; T-1 correct
  2. B. P-4; Q-3; R-1; S-5; T-2
  3. C. P-1; Q-5; R-4; S-2; T-3
  4. D. P-5; Q-2; R-4; S-3; T-1
Q143 MCQ 2 marks
Which one of the following proteins brings about the coagulation of milk in the
stomach of calves?
  1. A. Rennin correct
  2. B. Alpha-lactalbumin
  3. C. Beta-lactoglobulin
  4. D. Lactoferrin
Q144 MCQ 2 marks
Match the class of additives used for food preservation listed in Column I with
their specific examples in Column II.

Column I
Column II
P. Antioxidants
1. Rice bran wax
Q. Anti-foaming agent 2. Tricalcium phosphate
R. Anti-caking agent 3. Mineral oil
S. Glazing agent 4. Butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA)
  1. A. P-3; Q-4; R-2; S-1
  2. B. P-4; Q-3; R-1; S-2
  3. C. P-4; Q-3; R-2; S-1 correct
  4. D. P-2; Q-3; R-1; S-4
Q145 MCQ 2 marks
Match the food items listed in Column I with their respective flavoring agents in
Column II.








Column I
Column II
P. Cloves
1. Diacetyl
Q. Butter
2. Limonene
R. Orange
3. Eugenol
S. Lemon
4. Diallyl disulfide
T. Garlic
5. Citral
  1. A. P-1; Q-3; R-2; S-4; T-5
  2. B. P-3; Q-2; R-1; S-5; T-4
  3. C. P-4; Q-2; R-5; S-1; T-3
  4. D. P-3; Q-1; R-2; S-5; T-4 correct
Q146 MCQ 2 marks
Vegetable oils resist oxidation and maintain their quality for a long period due to
the presence of
  1. A. tocopherols correct
  2. B. hydrolytic enzyme such as lipases
  3. C. microorganisms such as molds and yeast
  4. D. carbohydrates
Q147 MSQ 2 marks
For a given temperature difference between the top and bottom surfaces of a flat
metal plate, Fourier’s law of heat conduction implies that
  1. A. temperature gradient increases with increase in heat transfer area
  2. B. heat flux is proportional to the thermal conductivity of the metal correct
  3. C. heat flux increases with increase in thickness of the metal plate
  4. D. temperature gradient decreases with increase in thickness of the metal plate correct
Q148 MSQ 2 marks
Xylooligosaccharides can be produced by
  1. A. hydrolytic degradation of xylan by hydrochloric acid correct
  2. B. hydrolysis of starch
  3. C. enzymatic hydrolysis of lactose
  4. D. enzymatic hydrolysis of xylan containing lignocellulosic material correct
Q149 MSQ 2 marks
In a α-helix, the R-groups on the amino acid residues
  1. A. are found on the outside of the helix correct
  2. B. participate in the backbone H-bonding that stabilize the helix
  3. C. allow formation of right-handed helices correct
  4. D. allow formation of left-handed helices correct
Q150 MSQ 2 marks
During constant pressure cake filtration, for an incompressible cake deposited
uniformly over a constant filter surface area,
  1. A. the cake resistance remains constant
  2. B. the cake resistance increases in proportion to the cake thickness correct
  3. C. the filtration rate remains constant
  4. D. the filtration rate decreases with time correct
Q151 NAT 2 marks
Hot oil is being cooled in a countercurrent, double-pipe heat exchanger from
410 K to 340 K by chilled water entering at 290 K and exiting the exchanger at
330 K. The Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD) for this heat transfer
is ________K. (Round off to one decimal place)

Correct: 62 to 65

Q152 NAT 2 marks
A cold-storage room has a double-layered wall. The inner layer is 10 cm thick,
made of fiber insulation board (k = 0.048 W m-1 K-1), and the outer layer is 15 cm
thick, made of concrete (k = 0.762 W m-1 K-1). The surface temperature of the
wall inside the cold room is 260 K and the ambient temperature outside is 300 K.
The steady state heat flux into the cold room is ____________ W/m2.
(Round off to two decimal places)

Correct: 16 to 19

Q153 NAT 2 marks
A tubular centrifuge separates 5 micron particles of density 1500 kg/m3 from a
slurry. The slurry is fed at a volumetric flow rate of 0.5 m3/s. The equivalent
clarification area of the centrifuge is _______m2. (Answer in integer)
Assume g = 10 m/s2 and for water, density = 1000 kg/m3,
coefficient of viscosity (µ) = 10-3 Pa-s

Correct: 71000 to 73000

Worked solutions are not printed here — every one of these questions carries a full explanation inside the test itself, which is where it is actually useful: after an answer has been committed. Sit the 2026 paper.

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