GATE Food Technology Syllabus 2026- Important Topics, Chapters

GATE Food Technology Syllabus 2026- Important Topics, Chapters

Edited By Samridhi Mishra | Updated on Mar 24, 2025 12:59 AM IST | #GATE

GATE Food Technology Syllabus 2026 - IIT Guwahati will release the GATE 2026 food technology syllabus on its official website. Candidates appearing for the food technology can download the GATE food technology syllabus 2026 pdf for both engineering sciences and life sciences from this page. The Food Technology paper is common to both the engineering sciences and life sciences exams. Candidates must cover all topics mentioned in the food technology syllabus to secure high scores in the GATE 2026 exam. The authority will conduct the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering in online mode.

This Story also Contains
  1. GATE 2026 Food Technology Syllabus
  2. GATE 2026 Food Technology Exam Pattern
  3. GATE Food Technology 2026 - Marking Scheme
GATE Food Technology Syllabus 2026- Important Topics, Chapters
GATE Food Technology Syllabus 2026- Important Topics, Chapters

Candidates opting for the GATE food technology paper must carefully select their other optional paper from the available options. It is essential for all applicants to pay close attention to the course code when applying for either of the two Food Technology exams. Aspirants are advised to refer to the exam pattern along with the GATE syllabus while preparing for the exam. The GATE paper pattern for both the food technology papers remains the same with changes in the compulsory subject and the choices for the second optional paper. Candidates can check the detailed GATE 2025 food technology syllabus and pattern here. Knowledge of the GATE food technology syllabus will help in planning for the exam effectively.
Previous year's GATE food technology syllabus (XE-G)

GATE 2026 Food Technology Syllabus

Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati will release the GATE food technology syllabus 2026 online. The GATE food technology syllabus includes several topics divided into 4 chapters. The food technology subject is common for both engineering sciences (XE) and life sciences (XL). It is important to note that the compulsory subject and the list of subject options for the second paper will differ for both the GATE food technology papers. Candidates can check the detailed topic-wise GATE food technology 2026 below.

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GATE 2026 Food Technology Syllabus

Chapters

Topics

Food Chemistry and Nutrition

  • Carbohydrates: Structure and functional properties of mono-, oligo-, & poly- saccharides including starch, cellulose, pectic substances and dietary fibre, gelatinization and retrogradation of starch. Proteins: classification and structure of proteins in food, biochemical changes in post mortem and tenderization of muscles. Lipids: Classification and structure of lipids, rancidity, polymerization and polymorphism. Pigments: carotenoids, chlorophylls, anthocyanins, tannins and myoglobin.

  • Food Flavours: Terpenes, esters, aldehydes, ketones and quinines. Enzymes: specificity, simple and inhibition kinetics, coenzymes, enzymatic and non- enzymatic browning.

  • Nutrition: Balanced diet, essential amino acids and essential fatty acids, protein efficiency ratio, water soluble and fat soluble vitamins, role of minerals in nutrition, co-factors, anti-nutrients, nutraceuticals, nutrient deficiency diseases.

  • Chemical and Biochemical Changes: Changes occurring in foods during different processing.

Food Microbiology

  • Characteristics of Microorganisms: Morphology of bacteria, yeast, mold and actinomycetes, spores and vegetative cells, gram-staining.

  • Microbial Growth: Growth and death kinetics, serial dilution technique.

  • Food Spoilage: Spoilage microorganisms in different food products including milk, fish, meat, egg, cereals and their products.

  • Toxins from Microbes: Pathogens and non-pathogens including Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia, Bacillus, Clostridium, and Aspergillus genera.

  • Fermented Foods and Beverages: Curd, yoghurt, cheese, pickles,soya-sauce,sauerkraut, idli, dosa, vinegar, alcoholic beverages and sausage.

Food Products Technology

  • Processing Principles: Thermal processing, chilling, freezing, dehydration, addition of preservatives and food additives, irradiation, fermentation, hurdle technology, intermediate moisture foods. Food packaging and storage: packaging materials, aseptic packaging, controlled and modified atmosphere storage. Cereal processing and products: milling of rice, wheat, and maize, parboiling of paddy, bread, biscuits, extruded products and ready to eat breakfast cereals.

  • Oil Processing: Expelling, solvent extraction, refining and hydrogenation.

  • Fruits and Vegetables Processing: Extraction, clarification, concentration and packaging of fruit juice, jam, jelly, marmalade, squash, candies, tomato sauce, ketchup, and puree, potato chips, pickles.

  • Plantation crops processing and products: Tea, coffee, cocoa, spice, extraction of essential oils and oleoresins from spices.

  • Milk and Milk Products Processing: Pasteurization and sterilization, cream, butter, ghee, icecream, cheese and milk powder. Processing of animal products: drying, canning, and freezing of fish and meat; production of egg powder.

  • Waste Utilization: Pectin from fruit wastes, uses of by-products from rice milling.

  • Food standards and Quality Maintenance: FPO, PFA, A-Mark, ISI, HACCP, food plant sanitation and cleaning in place (CIP).

Food Engineering

  • Mass and energy balance.

  • Momentum Transfer: Flow rate and pressure drop relationships for Newtonian fluids flowing through pipe, Reynolds number. Heat transfer: heat transfer by conduction, convection, radiation, heat exchangers.

  • Mass Transfer: Molecular diffusion and Flick's law, conduction and convective mass transfer, permeability through single and multilayer films.

  • Mechanical Operations: Size reduction of solids, high pressure homogenization, filtration, centrifugation, settling, sieving, mixing & agitation of liquid. Thermal operations: thermal sterilization, evaporation of liquid foods, hot air drying of solids, spray and freeze-drying, freezing and crystallization.

  • Mass Transfer Operations: Psychometric, humidification and dehumidification operations.

Related links:

GATE 2026 Food Technology Exam Pattern

IIT Guwahati will release the GATE food technology exam pattern 2026 online. Candidates can check the GATE food technology paper pattern from the table below. The GATE 2026 exam pattern will help candidates understand the format of the question paper.

GATE Food Technology Exam Pattern 2026

Particulars

Details

Examination Mode

Computer Based Test (Online)

Duration

3 Hours

Section

  • General Aptitude (GA)

  • Engineering Mathematics (XE-A) or Chemistry (XL-P)

  • Food Technology(XE-G)/(XL-U)

Type of Questions

  • Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

  • Multiple Select Questions (MSQs)

  • Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions

Total Marks

100 Marks

Marking Scheme

All of the questions will be worth 1 or 2 marks

GATE Negative Marking

  • MCQs - 1 mark for each correct answer; 1/3 mark will be deducted for every wrong answer.

  • MCQs - 2 marks for each correct answer; 2/3 marks will be deducted for every incorrect response.

  • No negative marking for MSQ & NAT.

  • No partial marking for MSQ type questions.

GATE Food Technology 2026 - Marking Scheme

Candidates must check the section-wise GATE marking scheme for food technology. The GATE marking scheme will help candidates know the weightage of various sections in the GATE food technology paper for engineering sciences and life sciences. Candidates can check the updated GATE 2026 marking scheme for food technology from the table below.

GATE 2026 Food Technology Marking Scheme (XE-G)

Subject

Marks Allotted

General Aptitude (GA)

15

Engineering Mathematics (XE-A)

15

Food Technology (XE-G)

35

Other optional subject

35

Total

100

GATE Food Technology 2026 Marking scheme (XL-U)

Subject

Marks Allotted

General Aptitude (GA)

15

Chemistry (XL-P)

25

Food Technology (XL-U)

30

Other optional subject

30

Total

100

List of optional subjects for GATE Food Technology (XE-G)

List of optional subjects for GATE Food Technology (XL-U)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is the GATE 2026 syllabus for food technology released?

No. The GATE 2026 food technology syllabus for both engineering sciences and life sciences will be released soon.

2. When should I start preparing for GATE 2026?

Candidates must begin their GATE preparation as early as possible. Before starting with the preparation candidates must check the GATE syllabus 2026.

3. How many papers in GATE 2026?

The GATE exam is held for 30 subjects. Candidates can check all the GATE subjects with paper codes online.

4. Which institute will conduct GATE 2026?

IIT Guwahati will conduct the GATE 2026 exam in online mode.

5. Is the GATE food technology syllabus the same for both engineering sciences and life sciences?

Yes, the GATE 2026 food technology syllabus is the same for both engineering sciences and life sciences GATE papers.

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Questions related to GATE

Have a question related to GATE ?

Hello,

Yes, as per the latest GATE eligibility criteria , students who have completed a 3-year BSc (Bachelor of Science) degree can now apply for the GATE exam. But admission options through GATE score for such students are limited.

  • IITs: Generally do not allow admission to MTech, but some may offer MSc-PhD or research programmes.

  • IISc: Allows BSc students for Integrated PhD in science subjects.

  • NITs/IIITs: Mostly need BE/BTech, so limited chances for BSc students.

  • Best options: Integrated PhD, MS by Research, or research roles.

Hope it helps !

For GATE preparation, reputed institutes include Made Easy, ACE Engineering Academy, and GATEForum. These institutes offer structured curriculum, experienced faculty, and comprehensive study materials to help students excel in the GATE exam.

The GATE 2026 syllabus covers topics from various engineering disciplines. For Computer Science, it includes subjects like Digital Logic, Discrete Mathematics, Algorithms, Operating Systems, Databases, Theory of Computation, and Software Engineering, among others. Each subject is further divided into core concepts and topics for in-depth preparation.

Yes, it is possible to get admission to a BE in Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) in NIT Trichy without taking the GATE exam. GATE is specifically meant for postgraduate (M.Tech) admissions, not undergraduate (B.E.) admissions.

For a BE course, the procedure is as follows:

1. Eligibility:

You must have completed your 10+2 (or equivalent) with the required subjects (Physics, Mathematics, and an additional subject like Chemistry or Biology).
You should meet the required percentage cutoff as defined by NIT Trichy (usually around 75% for general category students).

2. Entrance Exam:

You must qualify JEE Main, which is the entrance test for undergraduate admissions to NITs, including NIT Trichy.

3. JoSAA Counseling:

Once you qualify for JEE Main, you must attend the JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) counseling.
You will choose NIT Trichy as your first choice for admission during counseling. The seat will be allotted according to your JEE Main rank.

4. Seat Allotment and Admission:

You will be given a seat at NIT Trichy according to your JEE Main rank if you are within the cutoff.
Once seat allotment is over, you are required to present yourself at NIT Trichy for verification of documents and payment of fee to secure your admission.

5. Verification Documents:

You'll be required to bring your original documents (10th and 12th mark sheets, JEE Main score card, identity proof, etc.) for verification purposes.

6. Fee Payment

Once the seat is finalized, you will be paying the entry fee, which is different according to your category (OBC, SC, ST, general).

In short, GATE is not necessary for admission in the BE program at NIT Trichy.

List MTech colleges without GATE

Congratulations on qualifying GATE! Here is a detailed professional answer to your query:

1. GATE Score and Category Advantage:

  • A GATE score of 334 in Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) under the SC category gives you a decent advantage.

  • Cutoffs for SC candidates are usually much lower compared to the General category.

  • This score can open up opportunities in good institutes, but getting the topmost IIITs may still be slightly competitive for specialized branches like VLSI.

2. Admission Chances in Top IIITs for VLSI:

  • IIIT Hyderabad is one of the top IIITs for VLSI but generally requires a higher GATE score, even for SC candidates (around 400+).

  • Other IIITs like IIIT Bangalore, IIIT Delhi, IIIT Allahabad, and IIITDM Jabalpur may have lower cutoffs and offer decent chances for VLSI-related programs.

  • IIIT Bangalore considers both GATE scores and past academic performance, so you may still have a chance there with a strong profile.

3. Alternative Options to Consider:

  • NITs like NIT Trichy, NIT Surathkal, NIT Warangal, and MNIT Jaipur offer excellent VLSI programs and may have cutoffs suitable for your score under SC reservation.

  • Central universities such as IIITDM Kancheepuram and other newer IIITs could also be good backup options.

4. Important Suggestions:

  • Apply to a wide range of IIITs and NITs to maximize your chances.

  • Keep track of CCMT counselling and institute-specific admission processes.

  • Also check for special admission rounds or spot counselling if your preferred institute has vacant seats later.

5. Conclusion:

  • While securing VLSI in the very top IIITs like IIIT Hyderabad may be challenging, you still have very good chances in other reputed IIITs and NITs.

  • With proper choice filling and a little flexibility regarding specialization (like Embedded Systems or Microelectronics), you can secure a strong seat.

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