Question

The permissible limit of yeast and molds (cfu) as process hygiene criteria for satisfactory quality of Khoa/ Khoa based sweets as per FSSAI specifications is _________

• A. >50/g
• B. 150/g
• C. 100/g
• D. \(\le\) 10/g

Hint:

Remember the FSSAI yeast and mold standard for Khoa:
- Satisfactory: \(\le 10\ \text{CFU/g}\) (target \(m\) value).
- Limit of acceptability: \(50\ \text{CFU/g}\) (absolute \(M\) value).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Process hygiene criteria are used to monitor sanitation, ingredient handling, and environmental hygiene during manufacturing.
Yeast and mold counts are key indicators of hygiene for Khoa and Khoa-based sweets (like peda and burfi).
Because Khoa is prepared by hot desiccation, any yeasts or molds present in the finished product indicate poor hygiene or post-processing contamination.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze the FSSAI three-class sampling plan for yeasts and molds in Khoa and Khoa-based sweets:
- The FSSAI microbiological standards define the limits as:
\[ n = 5, \quad c = 2, \quad m = 10\ \text{CFU/g}, \quad M = 50\ \text{CFU/g} \]
- Evaluating these quality classes:
- Satisfactory Quality:
Any count that is less than or equal to the lower threshold limit \(m\) (\(\le 10\ \text{CFU/g}\)).
This indicates that excellent hygiene practices were maintained during manufacturing and packaging.
- Marginally Acceptable Quality:
Counts between 10 and 50 \(\text{CFU/g}\).
A maximum of two out of five samples are allowed in this range (\(c = 2\)).
- Unsatisfactory Quality:
Any count exceeding \(M\) (\(> 50\ \text{CFU/g}\)), or if more than two samples exceed 10 \(\text{CFU/g}\).
Therefore, a count of \(\le 10\ \text{CFU/g}\) is required to meet the satisfactory quality standard.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The permissible limit for satisfactory quality of yeasts and molds in Khoa under FSSAI specifications is \(\le 10\ \text{CFU/g}\).