Name | Other Names | Purpose | Source |
Baking Powder |
Leavening agent, mixture of carbonate and weak acid, increases volume of baked goods and creates the bubbly effect in breads and cookies |
Synthetic |
|
Baking Soda |
Sodium bicarbonate, bicarbonate of soda |
Leavening agent, mixture of carbonate(base) and weak acids releases carbon dioxide to fluff pancakes, cakes and baked goods. |
Synthetic, |
Balm |
Balm mint, lemon balm |
Plant attracts bees to make honey, flavoring for ice-cream, candies & teas, |
Melissa plant found in Europe & Asia |
Barberry |
Berberis |
Edible berries with sharp acidic flavor and used in ethnic foods, candies, drinks and jams to give a sour flavor |
Berberis plant |
Basil |
Great basil |
Normally used fresh in various ethnic foods for flavoring |
Basil plant |
Bay leaves |
Sharp, fragrant & bitter spice, used in cuisines across the globe |
Laurus nobilis plant |
|
Beeswax |
E901, cera alba |
Coating cheese, glazing agent to prevent water loss, protective fruit surfaces, gelatin capsules, natural chewing gum |
Produced by worker bees in a beehive to store honey |
Beet red |
E162, Betanin, Beetroot red |
Red food dye in ice cream, beverages, confectionery, candies, tomato & bacon products, sausages |
Extracted from beets |
Bentonite |
Volcanic ash, phyllosilicate clay |
Protein absorber used in white wine making during clarification and removing cloudiness |
Mined in USA, China, Greece and other countries |
Benzoic acid |
E210, E211, E212, E213, Carboxybenzene, dracylic acid |
White colorless solid, preservative that inhibits growth of mold, yeast and some bacteria, added to fruit juice, sparkling drinks, soft drinks, pickles & acidified foods |
Synthetic |
Benzoyl peroxide |
E928, Benzac |
Flour treating agent, oxidizes carotenoids in flour which changes its color from yellow to white |
Synthetic |
Bergamot |
Citrus Bergamia, bergamot orange |
Edible orange fruit, flavor for Earl Grey & Lady Grey teas, confectionery, marmalade, candy |
Bergamot tree |
Beta-ap-8'-carotenal |
E160e, Apocarotenal |
Orange-red color, used in fatty foods such as sauces, dressings, drinks, dairy and sweet foods |
Spinach, citrus fruits |
Betanin |
E162, Beet red, Beetroot red |
Red food dye in ice cream, beverages, confectionery, candies, tomato & bacon products, sausages |
Extracted from beets |
Biphenyl |
E230, Diphenyl, lemonene, BP |
Antimicrobial food preservative |
Synthetic, distilled from coal tar, crude oil & natural gas |
Bison grass |
Sweet grass, vanilla grass, holy grass, hierchloe odorata |
Aromatic herb(coumarin, active aromatic) used in producing distilled beverages, |
Synthetic, distilled from coal tar, crude oil & natural gas |
Bixin |
beta-Bixin |
Natural orange food color in trace amounts, soluble in fats and alcohol but insoluble in water |
Found in annatto in seeds of achiote tree |
Black cardamom |
Amomum subulatum, Indian cardamom, hill cardamom, brown cardamom |
Smokey & minty flavor & aroma used in savory(not sweet) ethnic dishes, especially Chinese, Indian & Vietnaamese |
Zingiberaceae plant family |
Black cumin (Two plants) |
Great pignut, earthnut OR Black caraway, nigella, kalonji |
Garnish, pastes, seasoning, flavoring, ethnic cuisines |
Plant sources |
Black limes |
Dried lime, noom basra, loomi |
Adds sourness to Middle Eastern & Persian foods, lacks sweetness of regular lime, earthy and smoky |
Lime that has lost water content in the sun |
Black pepper |
Peppercorn |
Spicy hot(bioactive: piperine), aromatic(bioactive: rotundone), used to enhance flavor and aroma |
Derived from peppercorn fruit |
Black PN |
E151, Brilliant Black PN, Food Black 1, Naphthol Black |
Water soluble black food dye, used in desserts, sweets, ice-cream, jams, soft drinks, caviar and pastes. Banned in US, Japan, Switzerland, Approved in EU. |
Synthetic |
Bleached starch |
Starch, bleached, sub-class of modified starches |
Emulsifier, stabilizer & thickener in desserts, pizza toppings, cheese sauces, industrial yogurt, low fat salami, Olestra, |
Corn, maize |
Bolivian Coriander |
Porophyllum ruderale |
Seasoning herb used in Mexican salsas and soups |
Plant with same name |
Borage |
Starflower, Borago officinalis |
Used in German & Italian recipes such as soups, fillings & pickles, garnishing cocktails |
Borage plant |
Borax |
E285, Sodium borate, disodium tetraborate |
Soft whtie crystals soluble in water, used as a preservative and adding rubbery texture to food. Banned in USA, China and other countries |
Synthetic |
Brilliant blue FCF |
E133, Acid Blue 9, Brilliant Blue FD, Blue #1, FD&C Blue No. 1 |
Blue coloring agent in ice-cream, cotton candy, canned foods, packed soups, food coloring, blueberry products, dairy, sweets, iceings,liqueurs and beverages, poorly absorbed in GI and 95% passes through |
Synthetic |
Brilliant Scarlet 4R |
E124, Ponceau 4R, Brilliant Scarlet 3R, New Coccine |
Heat & Light stable red dye Used in Europe, Asia & Australia but not approved in USA |
Synthesized from aromatic hydrocarbons |
Butane |
E943a, N-Butane, Liquefied Petroleum gas |
Propellant in very small doses |
Synthesized from aromatic hydrocarbons |
Butylated hydroxyanisole |
E320, BHA, BOA |
Anti-oxidant & waxy solid added to edible fats & fatty foods to prevent rancidity and odors, scavenges free radicals in meat, beer, baked goods, dry beverage, dessert mixes, chewing gum BHA in California is deemed as a carcinogen |
Synthetic |
Butylated hydroxtoluene |
E321, BHT, DBPC, AO-29 |
Anti-oxidant in tiny amounts in "enriched rice" and poultry, preservative |
Synthesized, Occurs in Phytoplankton(algae) and fruit lychee |
