ICAR AIEEA-PG Food Science & Technology official syllabus guide
ICAR AIEEA-PG Food Science & Technology syllabus 0
The 2024 bulletin describes one two-hour computer-based paper for the subject chosen. The earlier papers on this site (2019 to 2024, with two sittings in July 2023) each hold about 120 questions in a single Food Science and Technology section; the 2019 paper on the site has 159 questions and 150 minutes, and the 2024 bank has 119 questions. ICAR's subject syllabus for code 18 has three units.
Exam pattern and marking
- 2024 scheme: one paper, computer-based, multiple-choice, 120 questions, 120 minutes, English only.
- Marking in 2024: 4 marks per correct answer, minus 1 per wrong answer, nothing for a question left blank.
- Selection in 2024: NTA percentile scores, with no minimum cut-off for any category; any candidate scoring above zero may register for ICAR counselling, and ICAR prepares a merit list for each major subject.
- Ties in 2024 are broken by fewer negative marks, then older age, then Class XII marks.
Single 120-question Food Science Technology paper in 2024, syllabus in three units syllabus
Unit I: Food chemistry, nutrition and analysis
4 topics- General chemistry of food constituents, physical properties, colloidal systems, gels and emulsions
- Minerals in foods and physicochemical changes during processing and storage
- Functions of nutrients, dietary allowances, metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and protein, biological value and PER
- Additives, contaminants, anti-nutritional factors, flavours, food standards and modern analytical techniques
Unit II: Food process engineering
4 topics- Engineering properties of food materials, system analysis, mass and energy balance
- Unit operations: cleaning, sorting, size reduction, mixing, extrusion, filtration and membrane processes, extraction, crystallisation, distillation, blanching, pasteurisation, sterilisation, evaporation, drying, freezing, packing, heat exchange
- Process equipment design, heat and mass transfer, steam, compressed air, refrigeration, effluent and water treatment, thermobacteriology
- Automation, process control, food plant layout and design, energy audit
Unit III: Food products technology, packaging and quality
4 topics- Manufacture of cereal and bakery products, meat, poultry, fish, egg, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, sugars, fats and oils, fermented and indigenous foods, beverages
- Dehydration and concentration, irradiation, microwave and solar processing, by-products, flavour and pigment technology
- Judging of food products, plant management and legal aspects, food plant safety, risk and hazards
- Effluent treatment, waste utilisation, food storage, functions and types of packaging, containers, FFS, hermetic closures, package testing, transport and marketing
Source: ICAR Syllabus AIEEA (PG), Code 18 Food Science Technology ↗. Source: AIEEA (PG) 2024 Information Bulletin (sections 2.4, 2.5, 7.3, 7.4) ↗. Checked 2026-10-02.
Section weight by year
| Paper | Food Science & Technology | Total | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICAR AIEEA-PG 2024 — Food Science & Technology | 476 119 Q | 476 | 120 |
| ICAR AIEEA-PG 2023 (14 July) — Food Science & Technology | 480 120 Q | 480 | 120 |
| ICAR AIEEA-PG 2023 (9 July) — Food Science & Technology | 480 120 Q | 480 | 120 |
| ICAR AIEEA-PG 2022 — Food Science & Technology | 480 120 Q | 480 | 120 |
| ICAR AIEEA-PG 2021 — Food Science & Technology | 480 120 Q | 480 | 120 |
| ICAR AIEEA-PG 2020 — Food Science & Technology | 480 120 Q | 480 | 120 |
| ICAR AIEEA-PG 2019 — Food Science & Technology | 636 159 Q | 636 | 150 |
Changes in examination pattern
Compared across past papers. Not an official announcement.
| Change | Compared papers | Before | After | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ICAR AIEEA-PG 2023 (14 July) — Food Science & Technology → ICAR AIEEA-PG 2024 — Food Science & Technology | 120 q 480 marks 120 min 1 section | 119 q 476 marks 120 min 1 section |
Questions
120 → 119
Marks
480 → 476
Section split
Food Science & Technology 120q → 119q
|
| 2020 | ICAR AIEEA-PG 2019 — Food Science & Technology → ICAR AIEEA-PG 2020 — Food Science & Technology | 159 q 636 marks 150 min 1 section | 120 q 480 marks 120 min 1 section |
Questions
159 → 120
Duration
150 → 120 min
Marks
636 → 480
Section split
Food Science & Technology 159q → 120q
|
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