FSSAI
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (full text)
The core food law behind every CFSO, TO and Food Analyst law paper.
Exam resources
Goa Staff Selection Commission Food Safety Officer
Notification OutThe Goa Staff Selection Commission recruits Food Safety Officers for the Directorate of Food and Drugs Administration through a computer-based test with a compulsory Konkani section, general aptitude and a subject test on food safety law and food science.
Food Safety Officers for Goa's Directorate of Food and Drugs Administration (DFDA), Bambolim, are now recruited by the Goa Staff Selection Commission (GSSC). GSSC Advertisement No. 4 of 2026 (30 September 2026) notified 5 FSO posts, all unreserved, with applications closing on 30 October 2026. In the previous cycle (2021), DFDA recruited 19 FSOs itself through a 100-mark objective written test.
- Conducted by
- Goa Staff Selection Commission (GSSC), Panaji, for the Directorate of Food and Drugs Administration, Government of Goa
Who can apply
GSSC's detailed advertisement for 2026, due on gssc.goa.gov.in by 9 October 2026, will give the qualification, age and fee. The points below are from DFDA's 2021 advertisement for the same post and follow the FSS Rules 2011 qualification for Food Safety Officers.
- Qualification (2021 advertisement): a degree in Food Technology, Dairy Technology, Biotechnology, Oil Technology, Agricultural Science, Veterinary Science, Biochemistry or Microbiology, a Master's degree in Chemistry, or a degree in Medicine, or an equivalent qualification notified by the Central Government.
- Selected candidates must complete the training specified by the Food Authority at an approved institute.
- Knowledge of Konkani is essential and Marathi is desirable. GSSC also tests Konkani in the exam itself.
- Age (2021 advertisement): not more than 45 years on the closing date, with relaxation for government servants, ST, OBC, persons with disability and children of freedom fighters as per Goa Government orders.
- Residence (2021 advertisement): 15 years' residence in Goa and a valid employment exchange card were required. Check GSSC's 2026 advertisement for the current conditions.
- Pay (2021 advertisement): Level 5 of the 7th CPC pay matrix (Rs 29,200 plus allowances). GSSC Advt. 4/2026 has 5 posts, all unreserved.
A summary. Confirm the details in the current notice.
Source: DFDA Goa advertisement No.2/DFDA/Admn/2020-21/6729, 19 Feb 2021 ↗. Source: GSSC Advertisement No. 4 of 2026 (brief), 30 Sep 2026 ↗. Checked 2026-10-05.
Based on past papers, not an official scheme. Confirm in the current notice.
Every section is compulsory, with no choice between them, and the paper is timed at 90 minutes.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test of Konkani Language | 10 | 10 | Compulsory |
| Test of English Language & Comprehension | 10 | 10 | Compulsory |
| Test of Numerical Ability | 10 | 10 | Compulsory |
| Test of Reasoning | 10 | 10 | Compulsory |
| Subject Specific Test — Food Safety | 40 | 40 | Compulsory |
| Paper total | — | 80 |
Mock tests follow GSSC's single-tier Level-5 scheme (80 questions, 100 minutes, no negative marking), with the 10 Konkani questions first. GSSC's detailed advertisement for 2026 will confirm the exact FSO scheme.
Marking scheme
1 mark for a correct answer. There is no negative marking in GSSC computer-based tests. You must score at least 4 of the 10 Konkani marks to be ranked. An unanswered question scores zero. Our mocks for this exam are scored the same way.
Source: GSSC Syllabus and Scheme of Examination (scheme common to all posts) ↗
| Paper | Questions | Marks | Minutes | Sections | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goa PSC Designated Officer (Food Safety) 2022 | 75 | 75 | 90 | 4 | Open → |
| Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 1 | 80 | 80 | 100 | 5 | Open → |
| Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 2 | 80 | 80 | 100 | 5 | Open → |
| Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 3 | 80 | 80 | 100 | 5 | Open → |
| Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 4 | 80 | 80 | 100 | 5 | Open → |
| Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 5 | 80 | 80 | 100 | 5 | Open → |
| Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 6 | 80 | 80 | 100 | 5 | Open → |
| Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 7 | 80 | 80 | 100 | 5 | Open → |
| Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 8 | 80 | 80 | 100 | 5 | Open → |
| Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 9 | 80 | 80 | 100 | 5 | Open → |
| Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 10 | 80 | 80 | 100 | 5 | Open → |
Free PDFs and recommended books for Goa FSO (GSSC). How we choose
Free PDFs
12 free PDFsFood safety & law
FSSAI
Manual for Food Safety Officers — A Ready Reckoner
FSSAI's own handbook of a Food Safety Officer's hygiene and enforcement duties.
FSSAI
Manual of Methods of Analysis of Foods — Spices and Condiments
Official methods for spice quality and adulterant detection.
FSSAI
Compendium — Food Additives Regulations (December 2022)
Consolidated legal limits for additives by food category.
Processing & preservation
FSSAI
Manual of Methods of Analysis of Foods — Cereal and Cereal Products (2022)
Official analytical methods for cereals and flours.
FSSAI · FoSTaC
FoSTaC Manual — Special (Level 2), Bakery
Bakery process hygiene and hazards as FSSAI sets them out.
NCERT
Class 12 Human Ecology & Family Sciences — Food Processing and Technology
A plain-language overview of preservation and processing.
NIOS
Home Science (321), Lesson 9 — Food Preservation
Household and basic industrial preservation principles.
Food microbiology
OpenStax · Rice University
Microbiology (OpenStax)
A complete, peer-reviewed university microbiology textbook.
NCERT
Class 12 Biology — Microbes in Human Welfare
Microbes in curd, cheese, bread and fermentation.
NCERT
Class 8 Science — Microorganisms: Friend and Foe
Food spoilage, preservation and pathogens at a very basic level.
Nutrition
ICMR-NIN
Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024, 2nd edition)
India's official diet, RDA and My Plate guidance.
Official and open resources
9 resourcesOfficial resource
Directorate of Food and Drugs Administration, Goa
The department you would join.
Official law
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (English)
The parent law; FSO and CFSO papers test its sections, offences and penalties.
Official law
Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011 (compendium, Version I, 01.04.2025)
Rule 2.1.3 sets the FSO qualification and duties.
Official law
FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011 (compendium)
Covers the registration and licence thresholds.
Official law
FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011
Commodity standards and additive limits.
Official law
FSS (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011
Limits for metals, mycotoxins, pesticide residues and antibiotics.
Official law
FSS (Laboratory and Sample Analysis) Regulations, 2011
Sampling and laboratory procedure, needed for Food Analyst and FSO duties.
Official law
FSS (Packaging) Regulations, 2018 (compendium, 02.04.2025)
Food-contact material rules and packaging requirements.
Official law
FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 (compendium, Version VIII, 09.09.2025)
Current labelling, nutrition-information and front-of-pack display rules.
Exam-specific preparation
1 resourceMCQ practice
Objective Food Science and Safety Standards
Objective-style practice for food safety, standards.
Reading suggestion
Core food science
4 resourcesCore food technology
Textbook of Food Science and Technology (ICAR)
Indian food-science baseline for processing, preservation, chemistry.
Reading suggestion
Core food science
Food Science by B. Srilakshmi
Useful for food chemistry, nutrition, preservation.
Reading suggestion
Microbiology
Food Microbiology by M. R. Adams and M. O. Moss
Strong reference for spoilage, pathogens, fermentation.
Reading suggestion
Food engineering
Food Process Engineering and Technology by Zeki Berk
Good engineering reference for heat transfer, dehydration, freezing.
Reading suggestion
Aptitude and general studies
2 resourcesAptitude
Quantitative Aptitude by R. S. Aggarwal
Useful for arithmetic, reasoning-adjacent quantitative practice in recruitment papers.
Reading suggestion
General studies
Lucent General Knowledge
Compact static GK reference for state FSO, FCI.
Reading suggestion
Full topic list and section weightage Goa FSO (GSSC) syllabus and exam pattern
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Tests for this exam
10 results
- Full mock test Free Hard Set 1 Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 1 80Marks 100 minDuration Free Start test
- Full mock test Free Medium Set 2 Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 2 80Marks 100 minDuration Free Start test
- Full mock test Free Medium Set 3 Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 3 80Marks 100 minDuration Free Start test
- Full mock test Free Easy Set 4 Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 4 80Marks 100 minDuration Free Start test
- Full mock test Free Medium Set 5 Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 5 80Marks 100 minDuration Free Start test
- Full mock test Free Easy Set 6 Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 6 80Marks 100 minDuration Free Start test
- Full mock test Free Hard Set 7 Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 7 80Marks 100 minDuration Free Start test
- Full mock test Free Easy Set 8 Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 8 80Marks 100 minDuration Free Start test
- Full mock test Free Hard Set 9 Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 9 80Marks 100 minDuration Free Start test
- Full mock test Free Medium Set 10 Goa Food Safety Officer (GSSC) Mock Test 10 80Marks 100 minDuration Free Start test