All Exams Test series for 1 year @ ₹349 only
Question

What is the primary purpose of cleaning before disinfection in food processing ?
A. To add flavour to food surface
B. To remove visible soil that shield microorganisms
C. To increase temperature
D. To reduce initial load of microorganisms
E. To add odour
Choose the correct answer from the options given below :

This question was previously asked in
CUET PG 2026 Agri-Business Management Question Paper (25-Mar-2026) (Shift 2)
The correct answer is
B and D only

Food Processing: Cleaning Before Disinfection Purpose

In food processing environments, maintaining hygiene is crucial for food safety. Cleaning and disinfection are sequential steps, each with specific roles.

Why Cleaning is Essential Before Disinfection

Cleaning is the physical process of removing organic matter, soil, and other debris from surfaces. This step is critical because:

  • Removing Shielding Soil (Option B): Visible soil (like food residues or biofilms) can physically block disinfectants from reaching microorganisms. Cleaning removes this barrier, allowing the disinfectant to work effectively.
  • Reducing Microbial Load (Option D): Cleaning removes a significant portion of microorganisms along with the soil. This lowers the initial population of microbes (the microbial load), making the subsequent disinfection step more efficient and achievable with lower concentrations or shorter contact times.

Analyzing Other Options

Let's look at why the other options are not primary purposes of cleaning before disinfection:

  • Adding Flavour (Option A): Cleaning aims to remove contaminants, not add flavour.
  • Increasing Temperature (Option C): While hot water might be used in cleaning, the primary goal isn't temperature increase but physical removal of soil. Disinfection might involve heat, but it's a separate objective.
  • Adding Odour (Option E): Cleaning is intended to remove odours associated with soil and microbial growth, not to introduce new odours.

Conclusion

Therefore, the primary purposes of cleaning before disinfection are to remove soil that shields microorganisms and to reduce the initial microbial load, ensuring the effectiveness of the disinfection process.

The correct options representing these primary purposes are B and D.

Was this answer helpful?

Similar Questions

  1. A flipper defect can indicate :
  2. Which can spoilage type shows can swelling with sour or cheesy odour ?
  3. What is the standard contact time required for most chemical sanitizers to achieve microbial reduction ?
  4. In Clean-In-Place (CIP) system what is the typical sequence after alkali cleaning :
  5. Flat sour in canned food is caused by :
  6. __________ is the dehydration that may accompany the freezing process.
  7. Calculate $F_0$-value for Clostridium botulinum provided the $D_{10}$ value at $121^{\circ}C$ is 0.23 minutes, assume a 12D process :
  8. In sensory testing procedure, which one is not categorized under 'Hedonic test' :
  9. Lard and butter that are solid at room temperature and are mixture of liquid oil and solid fat. The lipids are completely solidified only in very low temperatures. Such homogeneous mixture of liquid oil and solid fat are defined as :
  10. The smoke point of lipid is in the range of :

Important Questions from Mixed Topic (CUET PG)

  1. Who was the founder of Bolshevik Communist party?
  2. What is the key guide to statecraft in the realist tradition?
  3. Chronologically arrange the events in the Cold War period.
    A. Berlin Wall is constructed
    B. Communist China joins the UN
    C. Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia
    D. Berlin Blockade
    Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
  4. Morgenthau's principles of political realism are:
    A. Politics is rooted in permanent and unchanging human nature which is basically self centred, self-regarding and self-interested
    B. Politics is an autonomous sphere of action and cannot therefore be reduced to morals
    C. International Politics is an arena of conflicting self-interests
    D. The ethics of international relations is situational ethics which is very different from private morality
    Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

  5. Who among the following political thinkers consider the anarchical self help system to be a compelling factor for States to maximise their relative power positions?

Need Expert Advice?
Upcoming Exams
GATE
February 06, 2027
Test Series
CUET PG img
CUET
CUET PG Psychology (HUQP20) 2026 Mock Test Series
10 Tests
753 Attempts
3.7(14)
English
More Questions from CUET PG

Start Your Preparation with Prepp Mobile App

Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Prepp Mobile App