Glossary beginning with B

B

Bacteria

Single-celled microorganisms, some of which can invade and multiply in the body, causing disease. Foodborne illness bacteria include Salmonella, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyrogenes, Campylobacter jejuni, Enterohemorrhagic and Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Vibrio and Yersinia enterocolitica. Between 1988 and 1992, 79 percent of foodborne illness outbreaks were bacterial. Inadequate cooking and storage temperatures, cross-contamination and poor personal hygiene are the primary contributing factors of bacterial foodborne illness.

Best Practices

Processes and activities that have been shown in practice to be the most effective.

Biological Hazard

A biological hazard is any danger to food safety by the contamination of food with pathogenic bacteria or other naturally occurring toxins.

Bioluminescence

The emission of light by a living organism as the result of a chemical reaction during which chemical energy is converted to light energy. (See ATP)

Bird Flu

See: Avian Influenza