The Mystery of Food: Science and Preservation | Best Questions for JNVS 2026

"The Mystery of Food: Science and Preservation"! 🧪🥦

              Dive into essential concepts of food science, chemical and natural preservation techniques, and key biological processes. Designed specifically for JNVST (Navodaya) 2026 aspirants, this guide features handpicked Best Questions to boost your exam preparation and guarantee top marks in General Science!

✨ What’s inside:

• Core Food Science & Preservation Techniques

• Important Practice Questions for JNVS 2026

• Easy-to-understand explanations & key takeaways

1. What are the tiny living things that grow on food and cause it to spoil called?

A) Insects B) Lice C) Microbes D) Dust 

Answer: C

2. Which instrument is required to see microbes?

A) Telescope B) Microscope C) Stethoscope D) Binoculars 

Answer: B

3. What do microbes need in order to grow? 

A) Only water B) Only air C) Moisture, air, and the right temperature D) Darkness and sugar

  Answer: C

4. India holds the rank of the largest producer in the world for which of the following? 

A) Millets and pulses (dal) B) Apples and oranges C) Wheat and rice D) Sugarcane and cotton 

Answer: A

5. Which type of teeth is specifically used to tear food?

A) Incisors B) Canines C) Premolars D) Molars

Answer: B

6. Disha left a piece of bread on the balcony and noticed it spoiled, but her grandmother's pickle did not. What is the primary reason the pickle did not spoil?

A) Pickles have magic ingredients. B) The mustard oil in the pickle stops air from getting in. 

C) Microbes do not like the taste of mangoes. D) Pickles are kept in the sun every day. 

Answer: B

7. How does the traditional method of sun-drying chillies help in preserving them for the entire year? 

A) It cooks the chillies. 

B) It adds extra vitamins to the chillies.

 C) It removes the moisture from the chillies, stopping microbes from growing.

 D) It turns the chillies into a powder. 

Answer: C

8. What is the scientific reason for storing items like milk and vegetables in a refrigerator? 

A) The cold temperature kills all the microbes instantly. 

B) The cold temperature slows down the growth of microbes.

 C) The refrigerator removes all air from the food. 

D) The refrigerator removes moisture from the food.

  Answer: B

9. Why does ghee not spoil as easily as butter at room temperature? 

A) Ghee contains artificial preservatives.

B) Heating butter to make ghee evaporates its water content, removing the moisture microbes need.

 C) Ghee is kept in airtight cans. 

D) Microbes cannot digest ghee. 

Answer: B

10. What natural cooling method is traditionally used in India to keep water cool without a refrigerator? 

A) Keeping water in plastic bottles 

B) Storing water in clay pots (matkas)

 C) Boiling the water 

D) Adding salt to the water 

Answer: B

11. What is the main role of saliva when you chew your food for a long time? 

A) It cools down spicy food. B) It helps in digesting the food. 

C) It prevents cavities.         D) It makes the teeth stronger.

  Answer: B

12. Which insect is known to preserve food for its larvae, doing so long before humans learned to preserve food? 

A) Honeybee B) Ant C) Hunting wasp D) Butterfly 

Answer: C

13. What natural agent is responsible for making idli batter fluffy and rise? 

A) Baking soda added by the mother B) Microbes present in the air 

C) The heat from the stove D) The type of water used 

Answer: B

14. Why is eating seasonal and local fruits (like local mangoes) encouraged in the text? 

A) They are cheaper. B) They are fresher because they do not have to travel far to reach us. 

C) They are the only fruits that do not spoil. D) They contain no microbes. 

Answer: B

15. What immediate danger is associated with eating food too quickly and not chewing it properly?

A) Cavities B) Choking C) Food turning into mould D) Immediate loss of teeth

  Answer: B

16. Consider the following statements regarding microbes:

1. They are only harmful to humans and cause food spoilage.
2. They are found in soil, water, air, and inside the human body.
3. Certain microbes are essential for making curd and digesting food. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 

A) 1 and 2 only B) 2 and 3 only C) 1 and 3 only D) 1, 2, and 3 

Answer: B

17. With reference to traditional food preservation methods, consider the following pairs:

1. Pickling : Blocking air using oil
2. Sun-drying : Removing moisture
3. Refrigeration : Removing air entirely 

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched? 

A) Only one pair B) Only two pairs C) All three pairs D) None of the pairs 

Answer: B (Pairs 1 and 2 are correct. Refrigeration slows down microbes by lowering temperature, not by removing air)

18. Consider the following statements about the human digestive process and oral hygiene:

1. Incisors are used to grind food.
2. Eating with hands biologically prepares the stomach for digestion.
3. Poor oral hygiene, like eating too many sweets and not rinsing, causes cavities. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 

A) 1 and 2 only B) 2 and 3 only C) 1 and 3 only D) 3 only 

Answer: B (Statement 1 is incorrect; incisors are for cutting, molars are for grinding)

19. Regarding India's agricultural footprint, consider the following statements:

1. India is the largest producer of millets in the world.
2. India is the largest producer of pulses in the world.
3. India is the largest producer of bananas in the world.

  Which of the statements given above is/are correct according to the text? 

A) 1 only B) 1 and 2 only C) 2 and 3 only D) 1, 2, and 3 

Answer: B (The text states India is "one of the largest" banana producers, not the largest)

20. Historically, which spice was so popular that it prompted explorer Vasco da Gama to cross oceans to collect it from India? 

A) Cardamom B) Turmeric C) Black Pepper D) Cumin 

Answer: C

21. Consider the following statements regarding traditional Indian practices:

1. In Northeast India, bamboo is strictly used for building houses and is never consumed.
2. Fermented rice (like pakhala or kanji) cools the body and is full of good bacteria.
3. Matkas (clay pots) are used to keep water cool naturally. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 

A) 1 and 2 only B) 2 and 3 only C) 1 and 3 only D) 1, 2, and 3 

Answer: B (Statement 1 is incorrect; tender bamboo shoots are turned into tasty curries)

22. Which of the following is/are modern or industrial methods of keeping food from spoiling mentioned in the text?

1. Sun-drying on mats
2. Storing in airtight cans and packaging
3. Adding large amounts of spices 

Select the correct answer using the code given below: 

A) 1 and 2 only B) 2 only C) 2 and 3 only D) 1, 2, and 3 

Answer: B (Options 1 and 3 are traditional methods; factory canning is the industrial method mentioned)

23. Consider the following statements about ghee and butter:

1. Butter requires refrigeration to slow down microbial growth.
2. Ghee is formed when water completely separates and evaporates from heated butter.
3. Both butter and ghee require the exact same temperature for long-term storage. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 

A) 1 and 2 only B) 2 and 3 only C) 1 and 3 only D) 1, 2, and 3 

Answer: A (Statement 3 is incorrect; ghee does not need refrigeration like butter does)

24. Consider the following pairs of teeth and their primary functions:

1. Canines : Tearing
2. Premolars : Crushing
3. Molars : Grinding 

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched? 

A) Only one pair B) Only two pairs C) All three pairs D) None of the pairs 

Answer: C

25. A child has a severe upset stomach after eating at a fair. According to the text, which of the following natural home remedies contains good microbes that join the stomach's bacteria to aid in digestion?

1. Boiled milk
2. Curd
3. Buttermilk 

Select the correct answer using the code given below: 

A) 1 and 2 only B) 2 and 3 only C) 1 and 3 only D) 1, 2, and 3 

Answer: B

Instructions for Q26-Q30: Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

• A: Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
• B: Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A.
• C: Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
• D: Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

26. Assertion (A): Ghee does not spoil as easily as butter when kept at room temperature.

  Reason (R): Heating butter to make ghee causes its water content to evaporate, removing the moisture that microbes need to grow. 

Answer: A

27. Assertion (A): Pickles covered in mustard oil last for a long time without spoiling. 

Reason (R): Mustard oil severely lowers the temperature of the jar, freezing the microbes inside. 

Answer: C (Reason is false; oil preserves the pickle by stopping air from getting in, not by lowering the temperature)

28. Assertion (A): Consuming fermented rice (like pakhala) or buttermilk is beneficial during an upset stomach. 

Reason (R): These items contain good bacteria (microbes) that join the stomach's natural microbes to aid digestion and cool the body.

  Answer: A

29. Assertion (A): It is impossible to see a single microbe with the naked eye. 

Reason (R): Microbes are so incredibly tiny that an instrument called a microscope is required to see them. 

Answer: A

30. Assertion (A): Drying chillies in the sun preserves them for the whole year. 

Reason (R): The sun's UV rays chemically change the chillies into a different vegetable that microbes cannot eat. 

Answer: C (Reason is false; the sun preserves them by removing moisture/dehydrating them)