Benders' Dictionary of Nutrition and Food Technology (eBook)

B

baba A French cake supposedly invented by King Stanislas I of Poland and named after Ali Baba. ‘Rum baba’ is flavoured with rum; a French modification using a ‘secret’ syrup was called brillat-savarin or savarin.

babaco The seedless fruit of the tree Carica pentagona, related to the PAWPAW, discovered in Ecuador in the 1920s, introduced into New Zealand in 1973, and more recently into the Channel Islands.

babassu oil Edible oil from the wild Brazilian palm nut (Orbignya matiana or O. oleiferae), similar in fatty acid composition to COCONUT oil, and used for food and in soaps and cosmetics. 86% saturated, 12% mono-unsaturated, 2% polyunsaturated, vitamin E 19 mg/100 g.

Babcock test For fat in milk; the sample is mixed with sulphuric acid in a long-necked Babcock bottle, centrifuged, diluted and recentrifuged. The amount of fat is read off the neck of the bottle.

bacalao See KLIPFISH.

Bacillus cereus SPORE-forming bacterium in cereals (especially rice), cause of food poisoning by production of ENTEROTOXINS in the food (emetic type TX 1.3.6.1) or in the gut (diarrhoeal type TX 2.1.1.1–2). Infective dose 105–107 organisms, emetic type onset 1–6 h, duration 6–24h; diarrhoeal type onset 6–12h, duration 12–24h.

bacon Cured (and sometimes smoked) meat from the back, sides and belly of a pig; variety of cuts with differing fat contents. Gammon is bacon made from the top of the hind legs; green bacon has been cured but not smoked.
Composition/100 g: water 40 g, 1917 kJ (458 kcal), protein 11.6 g, fat 45 g (of which 38% saturated, 50% mono-unsaturated, 12% polyunsaturated), carbohydrate 0.7 g, ash 2.5 g, Ca 6 mg, Fe 0.5 mg, Mg 12 mg, P 188 mg, K 208 mg, Na 833 mg, Zn 1.2 mg, Cu 0.1 mg, Se 20.2 μg, vitamin A 11 μg RE (11 μg retinol), E 0.3 mg, B1 0.28 mg, B2 0.11 mg, niacin 3.8 mg, B6 0.21 mg, folate 2 μg, B12 0.7 μg, pantothenate 0.5 mg. An 80 g serving (2 rashers) is a source of P, vitamin B1, niacin, a good source of Se, a rich source of vitamin B12.

bacteria Unicellular micro-organisms, ranging between 0.5 and 5 μm in size. They may be classified on the basis of their shape: spherical (coccus); rodlike (bacilli); spiral (spirillum); comma-shaped (vibrio); corkscrew-shaped (spirochaetes) or filamentous.
Other classifications are based on whether or not they are stained by Gram stain, AEROBIC or anaerobic, and autotrophic (see AUTOTROPHES) or heterotrophic.
Some bacteria form spores, which are relatively resistant to heat and sterilising agents. Bacteria are responsible for much food spoilage, and for disease (pathogenic bacteria that produce toxins), but they are also made use of, for example in the PICKLING process and FERMENTATION of milk, as well as in the manufacture of VITAMINS and AMINO ACIDS and a variety of enzymes and HORMONES.
Between 45 and 85% of the dry matter of bacteria is protein, and some can be grown on petroleum residues, methane or methanol, for use in animal feed.

bacterial count See PLATE COUNT.

bacterial filter A filter 0.5–5 μm in diameter (fine enough to prevent the passage of BACTERIA); permits removal of bacteria and hence sterilisation of solutions. Viruses are considerably smaller, and will pass through a bacterial filter.

bactericidal Conditions or compounds that are capable of killing bacteria.
See also BACTERIOSTATIC.

bacteriocins Antibiotic peptides produced by lactic acid bacteria and some other micro-organisms to inhibit the growth of others.
See also PROBIOTICS.

bacteriophage Viruses that attack bacteria, commonly known as phages. They pass through BACTERIAL FILTERS, and can be a cause of considerable trouble in bacterial cultures (e.g. milk starter cultures). Each phage acts specifically against a particular species of bacterium; this can be exploited in phage typing as a means of identifying bacteria.

bacteriostatic Conditions or compounds that are capable of inhibiting growth of bacteria, but are not BACTERICIDAL.

Bacterium aceti See ACETOBACTER.

Bactofoss™ See BIOLUMINESCENCE.

bactofugation Belgian process for removing bacteria from milk using a high-speed CENTRIFUGE.

bactometer A device for the rapid estimation of bacterial contamination (within a few hours) based on measuring the early stages of breakdown of nutrients by the bacteria through changes in the electrical impedance of the medium.

Bactoscan™ See DEFT.

badderlocks Edible seaweed (Alaria esculenta) found on northern British coasts and around Faroe Islands. Known as honeyware in Scotland.

bagasse The residue from sugar-cane milling, consisting of the crushed stalks from which the juice has been expressed; it consists of 50% CELLULOSE, 25% HEMICELLULOSES and 25% LIGNIN. It is used as a fuel, for cattle feed and in the manufacture of paper and fibre board. The name is sometimes also applied to the residues of other plants, such as sugar beet, which is sometimes incorporated into foods as a source of dietary fibre.

bagel A circular BREAD roll with a hole in the middle, made from fermented wheat flour dough with egg, which is boiled before being baked. Traditionally a Jewish specialty.

bagoong Philippines; salted paste made from shrimps and small fish.

baguette A French BREAD, a long thin loaf about 60 cm long, weighing 250 g, with a crisp crust.

bain marie A double saucepan named after the medieval alchemist Maria de Cleofa.

bajoa See MILLET.

baked apple berry See CLOUDBERRY.

baker's cheese See COTTAGE CHEESE.

baker's yeast glycan Dried cell walls of yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, used as an emulsifier and thickener.

baking additives Materials added to flour products for a variety of purposes, including bleaching the flour, AGEING, slowing the rate of staling and improving the texture of the finished product.

baking blind A pastry case for a tart or flan, baked empty and then filled.

baking powder A mixture that liberates carbon dioxide when moistened and heated. The source of carbon dioxide is sodium bicarbonate, and an acid is required. This may be CREAM OF TARTAR (in fast-acting baking powders which liberate carbon dioxide in the dough before heating) or calcium acid phosphate, sodium pyrophosphate or sodium aluminium sulphate (in slow-acting powders, which liberate most of the carbon dioxide during heating).
Legally, baking powder must contain not less than 8% available, and not more than 1.5% residual, carbon dioxide.
Golden raising powder is similar, but is coloured yellow (formerly known as egg substitute), and must contain not less than 6% available, and not more than 1.5% residual, carbon dioxide.

baking soda See SODIUM BICARBONATE.

Balade™ LOW-CHOLESTEROL butter, prepared by mixing CYCLODEXTRIN with the melted butter.

balance (1) With reference to diet, positive balance is a net gain to the body and negative balance a net loss from the body. When intake equals excretion the body is in equilibrium or balance with respect to the nutrient in question. Used in reference to nitrogen (protein), mineral salts and energy.
(2) A balanced diet is one containing all nutrients in appropriate amounts.
(3) A weighing device.

balanced coil system For detection of metal in foods. The food is passed between coils that produce a balanced electrical field. When metal is introduced, the balanced state is disturbed,...