HPSC Food Safety Officer Syllabus 2026 — Exam Pattern and Subject-wise Syllabus (Advt 25/2026)

HPSC Food Safety Officer Syllabus 2026 — Exam Pattern & Subject-wise Syllabus (Advt 25/2026)

About HPSC and the Food Safety Officer Recruitment

• The Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) is the constitutional recruiting body of the State of Haryana, constituted under Article 315 of the Constitution of India.
• The Food Safety Officer (Group-B) recruitment is for the Food & Drugs Administration Department, Haryana, under Advertisement No. 25/2026.
• Total vacancies: 45.
• Official website: https://hpsc.gov.in/
• Official examination scheme and syllabus page: View Official Scheme & Pattern
• Candidates must read the official notification for eligibility, dates and all conditions.

HPSC FSO Recruitment — Key Highlights

• Conducting body: Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC).
• Department: Food & Drugs Administration Department, Haryana.
• Post: Food Safety Officer, Group-B.
• Advertisement No.: 25/2026; vacancies: 45.
• Advertisement published: 19 September 2026; applications closed: 19 October 2026; official syllabus announcement: 15 October 2026 (all as reported).
• Screening Test: 06 December 2026; Subject Knowledge Test: 31 January 2027 (as reported).
• Selection: Screening Test (if applicable), Subject Knowledge Test and Interview.
• Final merit weightage: Subject Knowledge Test 87.5% and Interview 12.5%.
• Job location: Haryana.

Selection Process — At a Glance

• Stage 1 — Screening Test: conducted if required because of a large number of applicants.
• Stage 2 — Subject Knowledge Test: compulsory, 150 marks, subjective.
• Stage 3 — Interview: for candidates shortlisted as per the notified ratio.
• Final Merit List: Subject Knowledge Test (87.5%) and Interview (12.5%) combined.
• Attendance at every applicable stage is mandatory; candidates absent from a required stage will not be considered for selection.

Screening Test Pattern (06 December 2026)

• Each question has five options; the fifth option is meant for candidates who do not wish to attempt the question.
• One-fourth mark is deducted for every wrong answer.
• One-fourth mark is also deducted if a candidate neither attempts a question nor marks the fifth option.
• Candidates who do not darken any of the five circles in more than 10% of questions will be disqualified.
• A minimum of 25% marks is required to clear the screening test.
• Candidates up to four times the advertised vacancies, along with qualifying bracketed candidates, will be called for the next stage.
• Screening test marks will not be counted in the final merit list.

Subject Knowledge Test Pattern (31 January 2027)

• The test is subjective (written), in English, carrying 150 marks over 3 hours.
• Candidates must obtain at least 35% marks in the Subject Knowledge Test to be considered for interview.
• The Subject Knowledge Test carries 87.5% weightage in the final selection.

Screening Test Syllabus

• General Science.
• Current Affairs: current events of national and international importance.
• History of India.
• Indian and World Geography.
• Indian Culture, Indian Polity and Indian Economy.
• Mental Ability: reasoning and analytical abilities.
• Basic Numeracy: numbers and their relations, order of magnitude and Class X level topics.
• Data Interpretation: charts, graphs, tables and data sufficiency at Class X level.
• Haryana GK: Haryana history, geography, polity, economy and culture.

Subject Knowledge Test Syllabus — 12 Units

• The Subject Knowledge Test includes 12 units covering food science, nutrition, microbiology, processing, food safety laws, analytical methods and emerging developments.
• The unit-wise topics below follow the HPSC syllabus.

Unit I: Food Chemistry and Constituents

• Composition, classification, structure and properties of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, water, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre.
• Food enzymes and their functions.
• Food physical chemistry, pH, acidity, buffers and water activity.
• Colloids, emulsions and reactions affecting quality and shelf life.
• Anti-nutritional factors, natural toxicants and chemical changes during cooking and storage.

Unit II: Human Nutrition and Public Health

• Digestion, absorption and metabolism of nutrients.
• Balanced diet, dietary recommendations and energy needs.
• Nutritional assessment, BMI, BMR and protein quality calculations.
• Macro- and micronutrient deficiencies, malnutrition and food fortification.
• Traditional foods, dietary diversity and major Indian nutrition and food-security programmes.

Unit III: Food Microbiology

• Classification, morphology, physiology, growth and survival of food microorganisms.
• Foodborne pathogens, infections, intoxications and toxins.
• Microbial spoilage and microbiological quality indicators.
• Beneficial microorganisms in food fermentation.
• Microbiological examination, culture, enumeration and interpretation of test results.

Unit IV: Primary Production and Food Supply

• Traditional and modern farming systems; cereals, pulses, oilseeds, millets and horticultural crops.
• Dairy, meat-animal, poultry, fishery, aquaculture and apiculture production.
• Good agricultural and animal husbandry practices.
• Water and soil quality, veterinary medicines, pesticides and post-harvest handling.
• Sustainability, pest management, storage, transport and the roles of ICAR, KVKs, agricultural universities and NABARD.

Unit V: Food Commodities and Product Technology

• Composition, quality and processing of milk and milk products, meat, poultry, fish and eggs.
• Processing of cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, fruits, vegetables, spices and beverages.
• Traditional and regional food products.
• Food quality parameters, adulterants and authenticity concerns.

Unit VI: Preservation, Processing, Packaging and Storage

• Thermal processing, pasteurization, sterilization, concentration, canning and dehydration.
• Chilling, freezing, irradiation, fermentation and aseptic processing.
• High-pressure processing, membrane separation, pulsed electric fields, cold plasma and emerging heating technologies.
• Hurdle technology, food additives, nutraceuticals and functional foods.
• Packaging materials, food-contact safety, migration, shelf life, cold chain and storage controls.

Unit VII: Food Hazards, Hygiene and Safety Management

• Biological, chemical, physical and allergen hazards.
• Food contaminants, residues, adulterants, food fraud and risk analysis.
• Food establishment hygiene, potable water, cleaning, sanitation and pest control.
• FSSAI Schedule 4, GMP, GHP, GAP, GLP and HACCP.
• Food safety management systems, ISO 22000:2018, traceability and food recall.

Unit VIII: Food Sampling, Analysis and Laboratory Quality

• Field and laboratory sampling, sample preparation, preservation and chain of custody.
• Chemical and physical analysis, spectroscopy, chromatography and mass spectrometry.
• Immunological, molecular and microbiological methods.
• Method validation, calibration, reference materials and quality control.
• Rapid Analytical Food Testing (RAFT) kits and food surveillance.
• FSSAI testing methods, laboratory recognition, accreditation and ISO/IEC 17025.

Unit IX: Indian Food Law and Regulatory Compliance

• Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011.
• FSS regulations, licensing, registration, standards and amendments.
• Food additives, contaminants, residues, packaging, labelling and advertising claims.
• Inspection, sampling, seizure, documentation, recalls and foodborne incident response.
• Roles of Food Safety Officer, Designated Officer, Food Analyst and Commissioner of Food Safety.
• Enforcement procedures and appeals.

Unit X: FSSAI Systems, Institutions and Initiatives

• Functions and structure of FSSAI and State Food Authorities.
• Standard setting, enforcement, food imports, laboratory networks and audits.
• Food business guidance, training and consumer education.
• Eat Right India, food fortification, Clean Street Food Hubs and RUCO.
• Roles of BIS, AGMARK, APEDA, EIC, MPEDA, Spices Board, CFTRI, NIFTEM, ICAR, ICMR and DFRL.

Unit XI: International Food Control and Standards

• Codex Alimentarius Commission and international food standards.
• Scientific advisory roles of JECFA, JEMRA and JMPR.
• WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) agreements.
• International food-control systems.
• National and international certification, auditing and accreditation bodies.
• Voluntary standards and legal requirements.

Unit XII: Food Biotechnology and Emerging Developments

• Food biotechnology, fermentation, industrial bioprocessing and enzyme production.
• Downstream processing and biotechnology applications in foods and food testing.
• Genetic engineering, molecular detection and genetically modified foods.
• Biosafety and regulatory considerations.
• Emerging food-safety hazards and rapid diagnostic methods.
• Recent FSSAI regulations, standards, initiatives and public-health developments.
• Identifying official notifications, effective dates and binding regulatory requirements.

How to Prepare for the HPSC FSO Examination

• Cover the screening syllabus first (December 2026): general science, current affairs, Haryana GK and reasoning are quick-scoring areas.
• Then build Unit-wise notes for the Subject Knowledge Test — all 12 units are listed in the official syllabus.
• Give special attention to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 / Rules, 2011 and FSSAI systems — these are directly job-relevant.
• Practise subjective answers: the Subject Knowledge Test is descriptive, 150 marks over 3 hours.
• Remember the screening-test rules: five options, one-fourth negative marking, the no-attempt fifth option, and the 10% disqualification rule.
• Revise Haryana GK separately — it is part of the screening syllabus.

60-Day Study Plan (Indicative)

• Days 1–15 — Screening syllabus: general science, current affairs, polity/economy, mental ability, basic numeracy, data interpretation and Haryana GK.
• Days 16–30 — Subject Knowledge Units I–VI: food chemistry, nutrition, microbiology, primary production, commodities and preservation/packaging.
• Days 31–45 — Subject Knowledge Units VII–XII: hazards and safety management, sampling and analysis, food law, FSSAI systems, international control and biotechnology.
• Days 46–60 — Revision and practice: screening-test mocks with negative marking, subjective answer writing for the SKT, and unit-wise revision.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Is the HPSC Food Safety Officer Syllabus 2026 released? Yes — HPSC has issued the examination scheme and syllabus for 45 Food Safety Officer posts under Advertisement No. 25/2026.
• When is the Screening Test? 6 December 2026, subject to the Commission's screening requirement.
• When is the Subject Knowledge Test? 31 January 2027, as per the official HPSC announcement.
• What is the Screening Test pattern? 100 MCQs carrying 100 marks over two hours in English, with five options per question and one-fourth negative marking.
• Is there negative marking? Yes — one-fourth mark is deducted for each wrong answer and for each question where neither an answer nor the fifth option is marked.

Important Links — Official Only

• HPSC Examination Scheme & Syllabus: View Official Scheme & Pattern of Exam
• HPSC Examination Schedule: View Examination Updates
• HPSC Official Website: hpsc.gov.in (Official Website)

Disclaimer

• This page is an informational summary of the HPSC Food Safety Officer examination pattern and syllabus based on the official examination scheme published by the Haryana Public Service Commission.
• It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Haryana Public Service Commission.
• The official notification and examination scheme are the binding and final sources for all details, including eligibility, dates, qualifying marks and pattern.
• Always verify details at https://hpsc.gov.in/.