Category: Food Packaging Technology Objective Questions

Food Packaging Technology Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) on “Plastic Polymers – Packaging History”.

1. The term plastic is derived from the term ______
a) Plasticos
b) Plastikos
c) Plastiquo
d) Plastein
Answer: b
Clarification: The term plastic is derived from the Greek word plastikos. The word “plastic” or “plastics” originated from the Greek word “plastikos”, which means – to form or grow. The word plastic means the capability to be formed, which is one of the features of plastics.

2. When was the first folding carton commercially used?
a) 1789
b) 1850
c) 1897
d) 1880
Answer: c
Clarification: The first folding carton was commercially used in 1897, by NABISCO (National Biscuit Company). They used it for packaging their product Uneeda Biscuit.

3. What does the term plastikos mean?
a) Easily shaped or deformed
b) Stretchable
c) Bendable
d) Malleable
Answer: a
Clarification: The Greek term plastikos means easily shaped or deformed. It is a Greek term which originated from the Greek term plassein, which means – to mould.

4. Which of the following is the first synthetic plastic?
a) PVC
b) PP
c) Bakelite
d) Nylon
Answer: c
Clarification: In 1907, Leo Baekeland, a Belgian chemist, invented Bakelite. Bakelite, also known as polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride, is the first synthetic polymer made from phenol and formaldehyde.

5. When was retort pouch first developed?
a) 1900s
b) 1950s
c) 1850s
d) 2000
Answer: b
Clarification: Retort pouch was first developed in 1950s. A retort pouch is a packaging material, composed of different layers – Polypropylene (food contact layer), Nylon (Abrasion Resistance layer), Aluminium foil (Barrier Layer) and Polyester (outside layer). In 1950s, the retort pouch for heat-processed foods was developed originally for the US military, to pack Ready to Eat food items.

6. Which of the following is the first man-made plastic?
a) Parkesine
b) Nylon
c) Teflon
d) Polyvinyl Chloride
Answer: a
Clarification: Parkesine, also known as nitrocellulose is the first man made plastic. It was made majorly from cellulose, treated with nitric acid as a solvent. It was made by Alexander Parkes in 1856.

7. Who is called the “father of canning”?
a) Peter Durand
b) Bryan Donkin
c) Nicholas Appert
d) Robert Yeates
Answer: c
Clarification: Nicholas Appert is known as the “father of canning”. He was a confectioner. In 1809, in France, Nicolas Appert produced the means of thermally preserving food in hermetically sealed glass jars.

8. When was first commercial paperboard produced commercially?
a) 1850
b) 1817
c) 1915
d) 1945
Answer: b
Clarification: The first commercial paperboard was produced in 1817, by the firm M. Treverton and Son. Paperboard is a packaging material, thicker than paper possessing characteristics like foldability and rigidity. Paper with grammage greater than 250 g/m² is called paperboard.

9. Which of the following was used by Peter Durand?
a) Cellophane
b) Tin Cans
c) Corrugated Fiberboard
d) Glass jar
Answer: b
Clarification: In 1810, Peter Durand designed the soldered tinplate canister and commercialised the use of heat preserved food containers.

10. When was folding box first used?
a) 1805
b) 1817
c) 1845
d) 1884
Answer: d
Clarification: The first folding box was used by Quaker Oats in 1884. Quaker oats is a company that mainly produces oatmeal and cereal products. In 1884, folding boxes were used to package rolled white oats.

11. In which year was cellophane invented?
a) 1930
b) 1990
c) 1908
d) 1900
Answer: d
Clarification: Cellophane was first invented by Jacques E. Brandenberger, a Swiss textile engineer in 1908. It is a transparent film which is thin and quite stiff. It is a polymeric film made from regenerated cellulose.

12. When was Nylon invented?
a) 1999
b) 1985
c) 1915
d) 1935
Answer: d
Clarification: Nylon, a synthetic polymer, was produced in 1935. Nylon was developed by a research team at DuPont, headed by an American chemist, Wallace H. Carothers. It was made by the chemical synthesis of adipic acid and hexamethylrnrdiamine mainly, by condensation polymerisation.

13. Who is the inventor of PET bottles?
a) Nicholas Appert
b) Peter Durand
c) Nathaniel Wyeth
d) Bryan Donkin
Answer: c
Clarification: Pet bottle (also known as plastic soda bottle) was invented by Nathaniel Wyeth in 1973. PET is a kind of polyester, capable of holding carbonated beverages.

14. When was the first pop top aluminium can produced?
a) 1959
b) 1999
c) 1905
d) 1950
Answer: a
Clarification: In 1959, also called “pull-tab”. Invented by Ermal Fraze. This eliminated the need for a separate opener tool by attaching an aluminium pull ring lever with a rivet to a scored wedge shaped tab section of can top.

15. When was edible packaging introduced?
a) 2000
b) 2015
c) 2012
d) 2009
Answer: c
Clarification: Edible packaging, also called Food wrapped in food, was introduced in 2012. WikiFoods in 2012 along with Stonyfield introduced this novelty to market.

Food Packaging Technology Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) on “Pulping, Digestion and Bleaching”.

1. ______ is the process after pulping.
a) Rolling
b) Bleaching
c) Digestion
d) Sheeting
Answer: c
Clarification: Digestion is the process after pulping. The digestion process essentially consists of treating wood in chip form in a pressurized vessel under controlled conditions of time, liquor concentration and pressure/temperature.

2. Which of the following is the primary function of digestion?
a) To separate the fibers
b) To produce a well cooked pulp
c) To bleach the pulp
d) To increase the strength of the pulp
Answer: b
Clarification: The primary function of digestion is to produce a well cooked pulp, free from the non-cellulosic portions of the wood (i.e., lignin and to a certain extent hemicelluloses). It’s other functions are- to achieve a maximum yield of raw material (i.e., pulp from wood) commensurate with pulp quality and to ensure a constant supply of pulp of the correct quality.

3. After steaming at ______ pressure, the chips are brought to the digester pressure of ______ kPa.
a) Low, 500
b) High, 500
c) High, 1000
d) Low, 1000
Answer: d
Clarification: After steaming at low pressure, the chips are brought to the digester pressure of 1000 kPa. At LP, turpentine and gases are vented to the condenser. Then they are picked up in a stream of pulping solution and their temperature is raised to 170°C over 1.5 h. After holding at this temperature for a further 1.5 h, the digestion process is essentially complete.

4. Arrange the following processes in the right order from beginning to end in the paper making process.
i. Bleaching
ii. Pulping
iii. Screening
iv. Digestion
v. Washing
a) i,ii,iii,iv,v
b) ii,iv,v,iii,i
c) ii,v,iv,i,iii
d) v,iv,iii,ii,i
Answer: b
Clarification: The first step if pulping- mechanical, chemical or semichemical, which is followed by digestion. After digestion, the liquor containing the soluble residue from the cook is washed out of the pulp, which is then screened to remove knots and fiber bundles that have not fully disintegrated. The pulp is then sent to the bleach plant or paper mill.

5. Which of the following is the primary objective of bleaching?
a) To increase strength
b) To maximize yield
c) To increase brightness
d) To remove lignin
Answer: c
Clarification: Bleaching is a chemical process applied to chemical and mechanical pulps, primarily to increase their brightness but it also improves the cleanliness of pulp through removing extractives and other contaminants.

6. Which of the following component is majorly responsible for color of the pulp?
a) Cellulose
b) Lignin
c) Hemicellulose
d) Pectin
Answer: b
Clarification: Lignin is majorly responsible for color of the pulp. It is the chromophoric groups on the lignin that are largely responsible for the color of the pulp. Cellulose and hemicelluloses are inherently white and do not contribute to color.

7. Bleaching improves the strength of the pulp.
a) True
b) False
Answer: b
Clarification: The given statement is false. Bleaching reduces the strength of the pulp. Bleaching involves both the oxidation of colored bodies and the removal of residual encrusting materials (the principal one being lignin) remaining from the digestion and washing stages. This also results in loss of strength.

8. _________ present in lignin is responsible for its color.
a) Chromophores
b) Corona
c) Chomosomes
d) Tonoplast
Answer: a
Clarification: Chromophores present in lignin is responsible for its color.The density of Chromophores present in a compound determines its color.

9. ________ is the term used for bleaching of mechanical pulp.
a) Whitening
b) Lightening
c) Chroming
d) Brightening
Answer: d
Clarification: Brightening is the term used for bleaching of mechanical pulp. It is done to distinguish it from lignin-removing bleaching methods for chemical pulps. An increase in the brightness of mechanical pulps is achieved by modifying the lignin structures (chromophores) in the pulp furnish.

10. Bleaching by hydrogen peroxide occurs at ____ °C for _____h.
a) 40°C, 2 h
b) 60°C, 2.5 h
c) 40°C, 3 h
d) 10°C, 4 h
Answer: c
Clarification: Bleaching by hydrogen peroxide occurs at 40°C for 3 h. It is followed by neutralization and destruction of excess peroxide with SO₂. These pulps may be improved in color to only a limited extent since they contain virtually all the lignin from the original wood. Peroxide bleaching allows brightness to be increased by nearly 20%.

11. The residual lignin content in chemical pulp accounts for_______ of the mass.
a) 8%–9%
b) 5%–8%
c) 2%–5%
d) 1%–2%
Answer: c
Clarification: The residual lignin content in chemical pulp accounts for 2%–5% of the mass. It is responsible for the dark color of the unbleached pulp. The reagents for full bleaching of chemical pulp are mostly oxidative and since the carbohydrates are also susceptible to oxidation, bleaching must be accomplished under the mildest conditions.

12. The term TCF in chlorine bleaching stands for_________bleaching.
a) Total chlorine free
b) Total cadmium free
c) Total chromium free
d) Total calcium free
Answer: a
Clarification: The term TCF in chlorine bleaching stands for total chlorine free bleaching. This has been introduced to enable pulp and paper mills to meet tough new antipollution laws and regulations, and to conserve wood, chemicals and energy.

13. The term ECF in chlorine bleaching stands for _________ bleaching.
a) Elemental chromium free
b) Estimated chlorine free
c) Essential chlorine free
d) Elemental chlorine free
Answer: d
Clarification: The term ECF in chlorine bleaching stands for elemental chlorine free bleaching. Chlorine bleaching was identified as the major source of polychlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans compounds. In addition to dioxins and furans, a host of other chlorinated organic compounds (known collectively as adsorbable organic halides or AOX) are formed during chlorine bleaching. Strict regulations now limit the production of these chlorinated compounds, resulting in a move away from molecular chlorine bleaching to chlorine dioxide, so-called ECF or elemental chlorine free bleaching.

14. ________ is the mostly used chemical for bleaching of chemical pulp.
a) Sodium Hydroxide
b) Potassium Iodide
c) Hydrogen Peroxide
d) Sodium Disulphite
Answer: c
Clarification: Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂) is the mostly used chemical for bleaching of chemical pulp. The reaction typically requires 3 h at 40°C and is followed by neutralization and destruction of excess peroxide with SO₂. Peroxide bleaching allows brightness to be increased by nearly 20%.

15. Recycled paper requires more chemicals and causes more harm to environment than new paper.
a) True
b) False
Answer: b
Clarification: The given statement is false. Recycled paper uses lesser chemicals than new paper. Recycling of paper is an example of the sustainable use of resources. Recycled or secondary fibers are an important raw material in terms of volume and utilization for the paper industry in many countries, due to market pressures resulting from government legislation, increasing public awareness of issues like sustainability and a dwindling supply of virgin fibers in some regions.

Food Packaging Technology Questions and Answers for Campus interviews on “Manufacture of Tinplate – 4”.

1. Softer strength steels are used for drawn.
a) True
b) False
Answer: a
Clarification: The given statement is true. Higher strength steels are suitable for welded food cans, while softer, more formable grades are better for drawn cans and components such as aerosol tops and bottoms, fish or beverage cans.

2. Tinplating is the method of depositing tin on steel.
a) True
b) False
Answer: a
Clarification: The given statement is true. Tinplating is the method of depositing tin on steel. The quality or type of steel used depends on the purpose for which tinplate will be used.

3. The method of making tinplate by electroplating is also known as ________
a) selective tinplating
b) uniform tinplating
c) bilayer tinplating
d) differential tinplating
Answer: d
Clarification: The method of making tinplate by electroplating is also known as differential tinplating. The introduction of the electroplating process enabled a different thickness of tin to be applied to the two surfaces of the steel. Differential tinplating is the most cost-effective method and is efficient in covering interior and exterior of the container in a single step.

4. Ferrostan process is halogen process in differential tinplating.
a) True
b) False
Answer: b
Clarification: The given statement is false. Acid stannous sulfate process is generally known as the Ferrostan process. It is preceded by cleaning in a pickling and degreasing unit, followed by thorough washing to prepare the surface. Following which the coating is passivated and is flow melted.

5. Halogen process is a method of differential tinplating.
a) True
b) False
Answer: a
Clarification: The given statement is true. In this method, plating is done via electroplating using halogen gas. Using halogen in tinplating has additional benefits as it increases the stability. Also, halogen in the process can be recycled and reused.

6. The melting point of tin is around ________
a) 190°C–200°C
b) 260°C–270°C
c) 350°C–360°C
d) 200°C–210°C
Answer: b
Clarification: The melting point of tin is around 260°C–270°C. It has the lowest melting point in group 14 elements. It can undergo harsh treatments. This therefore makes it a preferable choice in manufacture of metal cans.

7. Flow melting is a method of melting the tin for tinplating.
a) True
b) False
Answer: a
Clarification: The given statement is true. Flow melting consists of heating the strip to a temperature above the melting point of tin (typically, 260°C–270°C), followed by rapid quenching in water.

8. During tinplating _______ is formed.
a) FeCl₂
b) SnCl₂
c) FeSn₂
d) SnO₂
Answer: b
Clarification: During tinplating, a small quantity of the tin–iron compound FeSn₂ is formed; the weight and structure depend on the time and temperature, as well as other factors such as the surface condition of the steel. The structure and weight of this alloy layer plays an important role in several forms of corrosion behavior.

9. Film formed from electrolytic treatment is usually <1 μm thick.
a) True
b) False
Answer: a
Clarification: The given statement is true. An electrolytic treatment in a sodium dichromate electrolyte is the most widespread. It results in the formation of a film (usually <1 μm thick), consisting of chromium, chromium oxides and tin oxides, the quantity and form of these basic constituents determining the varying properties of the film.

10. _______ is the final step in tinplating.
a) De-oiling
b) Activating
c) Passivating
d) Oiling
Answer: d
Clarification: After tinplating, the plate is given a light oiling. It is obviously essential that the oil used is approved for use in food packaging; cotton seed oil was used for many years but this has now been largely superseded by dioctyl sebacate (DOS).

11. The oil is applied by electrostatic precipitation or direct plate immersion.
a) True
b) False
Answer: a
Clarification: The given statement is true. The oil is applied by electrostatic precipitation or direct plate immersion. The quantity of oil (applied uniformly to both sides) is carefully controlled because an excessive oil film can cause de-wetting of enamels and printing inks, which are applied during subsequent container manufacture.

12. The oil film weights are generally in the range of_______
a) 5–10 mg m^-2
b) 1–5 mg m^-2
c) 10–15 mg m^-2
d) 1–5 mg m^-2
Answer: a
Clarification: The oil film weights are generally in the range of 5–10 mg m^-2 to help preserve it from attack, and to assist the passage of sheets through container forming machines without damaging the soft tin layer.

Food Packaging Technology for Campus Interviews,