OSSC has announced 35 new vacancies for the post of Food Safety Officer under Commissioner on a contractual basis. The staff selection commission has invited online applications from eligible candidates for the position of Food Safety Officer.

OSSC Food Safety Officer - At a glance

OSSC Food Safety Officer recruitment Important dates

Eligibility Criteria for OSSC Food Safety Officer

Nationality

The candidate must be an Indian Citizen who can read, speak and write Odia.

Educational Qualification

• Candidates must have a degree in Food Technology/Dairy Technology/Biotechnology/Oil Technology/Agricultural Science/Biochemistry/ Microbiology or a Masters degree in Chemistry or Degree in Medicine from AICTE approved university recognised by the UGC.
• Candidates must have a minimum of 60% aggregate in the qualifying examination to be eligible.
• Candidates must possess adequate knowledge of Computers to be considered fit for the job.

Age (as of 01/01/2021)

The candidate should not be younger than 21 and not older than 32 years to apply.

Application fee

How to Apply for OSSC Food Safety Officer

1. Visit the official website - https://www.ossc.gov.in/.
2. Click on "Apply Online".
3. Read the prerequisites mentioned for the examination carefully.
4. Fill in the registration details and set a strong password for your profile.
5. Now go to "Registered Candidate's Login" and enter your credentials.
6. Complete the rest of the application form.
7. Upload the required documents.
8. Pay the examination fee through any one of the acceptable payment methods.
9. After the transaction is successful, take a printout of your application form for future reference.

Admit Card

The admit cards will be hosted on the official website before the examination date. It is an important document that needs to be carried to the examination venue. Failure to produce admit card may result in the expulsion of the candidate. Stay in touch with the website for updates.

Vacancy and Reserve list

Selection Process

The recruitment process includes three stages-

1. Written examination
2. Computer Skills test
3. Document verification

Examination Pattern

Main written examination

The written examination consists of 100 Multiple choice questions in the composite paper and 100 multiple choice questions in the Technical paper.

Duration: 3 hours ( 1 hour 30 minutes for each paper)

• Each question carries one mark.
• There is no negative marking in Paper-I.
• There is a negative marking of -0.25 marks in Paper-II.

Computer Skills test

• Maximum marks: 50
• Duration: 1 hour
• The test is qualifying in nature. The minimum mark required for qualification is 15 marks.

Syllabus

Paper-I: COMPOSITE PAPER

Paper-II: TECHNICAL PAPER

Food Safety Standards, Act, Rules and Regulations

• Food: Definition, Food additives and Processing Aid, Contaminants, Toxic Substances and Heavy Metals
• Pesticides: Pest Control, Antibiotic Residues and Microbiological Control
• Genetically Modified Foods, Organic Foods, Functional Foods, Proprietary Foods
• Packaging and Labelling of Foods
• Restriction on advertisement and prohibition to unfair trade practices
• Responsibilities of the Business Food Operator
• Liability of manufacturers, packers, whole-sellers, distributors and sellers
• Food Recall procedures
• Licensing and Registration of Food Business
• General requirements on Hygienic and Sanitary practices by the FBO (Good Manufacturing Practice, Good Hygienic Practice, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point/ Personal Hygiene)
• Water Pollution: Potable Water: sources and methods of purification, Food and Water Borne Diseases

Chemistry

• Carbohydrates, Protein, Lipids - Definition, Classification, Properties and Significance
• Essential and non-essential Amino Acids
• Vitamins (Fat Soluble and Water Soluble Vitamins) - Sources, Properties and Significance
• Enzymes - Definition, Classification, Properties, Co- Enzymes
• Chemical components of Food - Micro and Micronutrients, their dietary sources and biochemical rules
• Nutrition Deficiency Disorders
• To estimate Acid Value, Iodine Value and Saponification value of lipids
• Food Spoilage - Microorganisms, conditions (Factors and Control)
• Food poisoning (intoxication) - Bacterial, Fungal, Algal
• Food Preservation: Storage, Physical and Chemical Methods
• Fermentation of Food Items - Types, production of cheese, yoghurt, bread etc.

Result

Results will be hosted on the official website. Stay connected with the website for updates.

Cut-off

The Officials will announce the cut-off marks after the examination is conducted. The final merit list will be compiled based on the cut-off marks. Stay connected with the website for updates.

Job Profile

Duties and Responsibilities include

• Inspecting food samples from restaurants in the region.
• Inspecting food storage.
• Making sure that food safety standards are followed.

Salary

The starting salary of a Food Safety Officer in Orissa is ₹ 16,880.

Preparation tips

• The first thing you need to do before starting your preparation is to comprehend the syllabus and examination pattern carefully. Keep a copy of the detailed syllabus with you to make sure you don't miss any topic.
• Most of the questions from general studies are repetitive. Solving previous years question papers will be of great advantage for the preliminary examination. The initial exam is objective type, and hence the kind of questions asked is similar to previous years.
• Plan and divide your time. Designate time for complicated topics in the syllabus. This varies from person to person. Identify your weak areas and work on them.

Question papers

• General Studies
• English
• Food Safety
• Chemistry

Recommended Books

Study Plan

Syllabus: Covering all the topics in the syllabus is very important. Don't limit yourself to only conventional sources. Solve a maximum number of multiple-choice questions for practice. There is plenty of practice material available on the internet - mock tests, sample papers, e-books, video lectures, online study materials, topper notes, etc.

Making notes: make short notes as you proceed through the syllabus. These notes should be crisp and to the point. Include mind maps and flowcharts wherever appropriate. Make notes for each chapter highlighting essential details and include a precise explanation of concepts.

Solve previous year papers- Try solving them by having yourself the time limit which you are getting in the examination. The main objective of doing this is that aspirants will identify their weak & strong areas.

Quality Study- It is suggested to not cramp yourself with a massive bulk of study material from multiple sources. This causes you to end up studying nothing instead.

We hope this article gave you a headstart on your preparation. Go through the official notification carefully and stay updated with all the developments regarding the examination. We wish you All the Best!

Link to the Official Notification

• OSSC Food Safety Officer 2021 Advertisement
• Latest notice regarding Food safety Officer recruitment