Từ điển công nghệ thực phẩm - D

D
2,4-D Selective systemic herbicide used for post-
emergence control of annual and perennial broad-
leaved weeds in cereals, orchards, some vegetable
crops and sugar cane. Classified by WHO as moder-
ately hazardous (WHO II). Also known as 2,4-
dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.
Dab Marine flatfish species (Limanda limanda) which
occurs abundantly around the northeast Atlantic. Flesh
has firm texture and a sweet flavour. Marketed
fresh, dried/salted, smoked and frozen.
Daconil Alternative term for the fungicide chlorotha-
lonil.
Dahi Fermented milk product popular in India. Dahi
made from buffalo milk is generally preferred to that
made from cow milk. A sweet variety of dahi, misti
dahi, is prepared by adding cane sugar to milk dur-
ing heating, giving a caramelized flavour and brown
colour.
Daidzein One of the two isoflavones of particular
importance in soybeans, the other being genistein.
Both compounds are structurally similar to oestrogenic
steroids and possess both oestrogenic activity and
anti-oestrogenic activity, the principal functions re-
sponsible for the health benefits associated with con-
sumption of soybeans and soy products.
Dairies Premises in which dairy products are manu-
factured. Also called creameries or dairy facto-
ries.
Dairies effluents Waste water released from dair-
ies.

Dairies wastes Wastes remaining after processing
of dairy products.
Dairy beverages Drinks based on milk or other
dairy products, e.g. whey.
Dairy desserts Ready to eat desserts based on
dairy products, such as cream, milk
or yoghurt.
Available as chilled, frozen and shelf-stable products.
Include mousses, custards, fromage frais, milk
puddings and ice cream products.
Dairy factories Premises in which dairy products
are manufactured. Also called creameries or dair-
ies.
Dairy-lo Trade name for fat substitutes composed
of whey protein concentrates which have been
subjected to controlled thermal denaturation, result-
ing in functional proteins with fat-like properties. Used
mainly in reduced fat dairy products, frozen dairy
desserts (such as ice cream), bakery products and
salad dressings. Marketed by Cultor Food Science.
Dairy products Products manufactured from milk.
Include as major product groups, cheese, yoghurt,
butter, cream, fermented milk, ice cream and
whey products. Also called milk products.
Dairy science Division of food science dealing
with the characteristics, manufacture and quality of
dairy products as well as the production, manage-
ment and distribution of dairy animals such as cows,
goats and sheep.
Dairy spreads Spreads based on milk fats and

containing other, sometimes non-dairy, ingredients to
give a lower fat content than butter.
Dairy starters Microbial cultures used in manufacture
of fermented dairy products, including fer-
mented cream, fermented milk and cheese.
Dalia Types of porridges made from wheat grits.
ȕ-Damascenone One of a number of aroma com-
pounds found in plant foods and beverages pro-
duced from them. A member of the ketones class of
chemicals derived from carotenoids and has the mo-
lecular formula C
13
H
18
O. May be added to flavour-
ings, but more commonly used in fragrances, being a
characteristic aroma compound in rose oil. Imparts a
floral, fruity or woody aroma.
Daminozide Plant growth regulator (the active com-
ponent in Alar) which has been widely used in the cul-
tivation of apples. Concern arose in the 1980s over
the safety of Alar when it was identified as a possible
carcinogen. Daminozide is also known by a number of
other names, including N-dimethylaminosuccinamic
acid, kylar and SADH.
Damsons Purple plum-like fruits produced by
Prunus damascena. Eaten cooked or used to make
jams or damson cheese, a solid preserve of damsons
and sugar.
Danbo cheese Danish semi-soft cheese made from

cow milk. Has a smooth, dry, yellow rind and is
123
Dandelions Dawadawa
sometimes coated with red wax. Ripened for 6 weeks
to 5 months.
Dandelions Common name for Taraxacum officinale.
All parts of the plant are consumed. The root is used to
make beverages that smell like coffee but have the
flavour of chicory, the leaves are used in salads or
as vegetables, and the flower heads are used in wine-
making.
Danish pastries Sweet bakery products made
from laminating yeasts-fermented dough with but-
ter or margarines and filled with nuts, fruits or
custards. Often glazed with thin sugar/water icing.
Dark chocolate Chocolate that contains at least
35% cocoa solids. In the US, both semisweet and bit-
tersweet chocolates may be referred to as dark choco-
late. An equivalent term is plain chocolate. Dark
chocolate is a rich source of gallic acid and epi-
catechin.
Dark cutting defect A defect of beef, often associ-
ated with bull beef. Dark cutting meat, also known as
black beef or dark cutter beef, has a darker colour,
and poorer flavour and texture than normal beef;
moreover, the high pH value of dark cutting meat en-
courages the growth of spoilage bacteria and reduces
shelf life. Physiological stress and exhaustion pre-
slaughter deplete muscle glycogen stores, ultimately
increasing the pH of meat and leading to the develop-

ment of dark cutting defect. In young bulls, incidence
of dark cutting defect can be decreased by low stress
handling and prevention of bull behaviour (mounting,
mock fighting and butting) in abattoir pens prior to
slaughter.
Darkening Discoloration of a substance by becom-
ing dark or darker. Red colour is often used by con-
sumers as an indicator of the freshness of meat.
Darkening of the product, which occurs during storage
due to pigment shifts, is perceived as being a negative
event, even though this is not a true indicator of whole-
someness or nutritional value. Because of consumer
concerns, packaging films are designed to protect
meat colour, largely by controlling diffusion of oxy-
gen. Darkening is also a problem during repeated use
of frying oils.
Dark firm dry defect Commonly abbreviated to DFD
defect, a condition associated with pork in which meat
has a high pH value and darker than normal lean col-
our
. The defect results from a decreased
glycogen
content in swine muscles prior to slaughter; it is often
associated with pre-slaughter stress. In beef, the term
dark cutting defect or dark cutter is used to refer to
the same condition.
Databanks Large stores of data held on computers.
DATEM Anionic oil in water emulsifiers used as
improvers in breadmaking. Acronym for diacetyl
tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides.

Date marking Marking of food or beverage containers
with a date that may be the date of manufacture, the
sell-by date and/or the use-by date (expiry date). The
sell-by date is the date by which the manufacturer rec-
ommends that a perishable product should be sold.
Use-by dates are chiefly used in the UK instead of sell-
by dates, and indicate the recommended date by which
a perishable product should be eaten or used, after
which it is no longer deemed to be safe, desirable or
effective. Date marking is often required by law, par-
ticularly on packs of foods which should be maintained
at low temperature, e.g. cheese, pates and ready
meals, and on foods in which spoilage organisms
are likely to multiply or cross contaminate other foods,
e.g. fresh meat and fish. Other foods, such as bread
and cakes, which tend to deteriorate in quality rather
than safety do not require date marking by law, but are
often labelled voluntarily by the manufacturer or re-
tailer.
Dates Fruits of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera).
Vary in colour, shape and size, and may be soft, dry or
semi-dry. Contain high levels of sugar, amounts and
individual types of sugars varying among cultivars, but
small amounts of vitamins. Vitamin C content is
relatively high in fresh fruits, but is reduced to trace
amounts by drying. Served as dessert fruits and incor-
porated into many food products, especially cakes
and biscuits. In addition, in Arab countries, dates are
also used in preparation of syrups, vinegar and
sugar substitutes.

Date shells Marine bivalves (Lithophaga litho-
phaga
) occurring along shores of the Mediterranean
Sea and eastern Atlantic, which bore into rocks using a
secreted acid. Consumed as a table delicacy in some
Mediterranean regions.
Dating Process of marking a product or its outer pack-
aging with date information, such as date of manufac-
ture or date by which the product should be consumed
to ensure quality.
Davana Common name for Artemisia pallens, a plant
used as the source of aromatic herbs
and essential
oils with a characteristic fruity odour. Used in
fla-
vourings for cakes, pastries and value-added
beverages.
Dawadawa Fat- and protein-rich fermented foods
from West and Central Africa, traditionally made from
African locust beans. Seeds are cooked, fermented
and formed into balls, which can be used to flavour
soups and stews. The fermented products can be
stored for long periods and are a good source of li-
124
Day lilies Debranning
noleic acid and vitamin B
2
.
Also known as iru in
Nigeria.

Day lilies Plants of the genus Hemerocallis that be-
long to the family Hemerocallidaceae. Some species
have edible flowers, which may be used fresh or af-
ter drying, and which exhibit sweetness and a mild
vegetable-like flavour. The young green leaves and
tubers of some species are also edible.
DDD Alternative name for TDE.
DDE Persistent non-systemic organochlorine insecti-
cide occurring as a degradation product of DDT. Usage
of the parent compound to control insects on crops
has generally been displaced by less persistent insec-
ticides.
DDT Persistent non-systemic organochlorine insecti-
cide used to control a wide range of insects. Subject
to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic
Pollutants and usage on crops has generally been dis-
placed by less persistent insecticides. Classified by
WHO as moderately hazardous (WHO II).
Deacetylation Form of chemical structure modifica-
tion involving removal of acetyl groups (CH
3
-CO-)
from molecules. Used to convert chitin or chitosan
into biologically active derivatives and to alter the
rheological properties of additives, such as xan-
than gums.
Deacidification Neutralization process whereby the
acidity of a substance is reduced. Deacidification is of-
ten used in conjunction with the processing of apple
juices, cider, vegetable oils, wines and grape

musts. Deacidification of grape musts is crucial for
the production of well-balanced wines, especially in
colder regions of the world. Malolactic fermenta-
tion is widely used to reduce the acidity of grape
juices. Young wines can also be deacidified with cal-
cium carbonate and potassium hydrogen carbonate.
Deacidification of vegetable oils (such as rice bran
oils and corn oils) can be carried out using solvent
extraction and membrane processing. Nanofiltration
has been used for deacidifying and demineralizing cot-
tage cheese whey, ready for use in ice cream and
other frozen dairy desserts.
Deaeration Removal of air or oxygen from a solution,
for example by bubbling with an inert gas. Also known
as degassing.
Deamidation Form of chemical structure modifica-
tion in which amide bonds undergo hydrolysis to
remove amide groups from molecules such as pro-
teins and amino acids. Enzymic or non-enzymic
deamidation of cereal proteins is often performed to
improve functional properties, such as solubility,
foaming capacity and emulsifying capacity. Can
also cause undesirable damage to amino acid side
chains on certain food proteins during processing.
Deaminases Includes members of EC 3.5.4. These
hydrolases act on carbon-nitrogen bonds other than
peptide bonds, removing amino groups from com-
pounds. Ammonia
is produced in the process. Sub-
strates include purines, pyrimidines,

nucleotides,
nucleosides, etc., and hence can affect food fla-
vour.
Debaryomyces Genus of yeasts of the family Sac-
charomycetaceae and class Saccharomycetes. Debary-
omyces hansenii, which tolerates high concentrations
of salt and is cryotolerant, is the most common spe-
cies of yeast found in all types of cheese. Also found
on fish, in salted dairy products and in brines as it
is able to grow in the presence of salt at low tempera-
tures, and to metabolize lactic acid and citric acid.
D. hansenii also provides proteolytic and lipolytic ac-
tivities during cheese ripening. This species is one of
the most frequent yeast species to be associated with
chilled foods. Used as a starter in the manufacture of
fermented sausages, and has been responsible for
the spoilage of fruit juice concentrates and yo-
ghurt. D. hansenii is able to convert xylose to xyli-
tol.
Debittering Removal of bitter compounds from
foods such as citrus fruits, chocolate, soybeans
and cruciferous vegetables, and beverages such as
wines, fruit juices, cider and beer, to make them
more palatable. Debittering can be achieved biologi-
cally, using enzymes or immobilized bacteria. Lac-
tone
hydrolases are used commercially for debitter-
ing citrus juices by removing triterpenes. Correction
of excessive naringin bitterness in citrus fruits can
be achieved through use of adsorbents or cyclo-

dextrins to form less bitter inclusion complexes. De-
liberate aeration of the pulp during apple juice ex-
traction for cidermaking promotes the removal of bitter
and astringent flavonoids through their binding to the
pomace. Fining with gelatin decreases contents fur-
ther still by coprecipitation. Proline-specific amin-
opeptidases can be used for debittering food pro-
tein hydrolysates. Enzymic hydrolysis of oleu-
ropein by ȕ-glucosidase from Lactobacillus planta-
rum offers an alternative to chemical debittering treat-
ments for table olives.
Deboning A process for cutting of meat from the
bones, which can be done either manually or me-
chanically.
Debranching enzymes Alternative term for pullu-
lanases and isoamylases.
Debranning Process of bran removal from cereals.
May be achieved by milling or by soaking in a solu-
tion of an alkali such as sodium hydroxide. Used to
125
Decaffeinated coffee Deep freezing
enhance milling performance of cereals as well as to
provide by-products with potential as food ingredients.
However, debranning may also affect the nutritional
quality and functional properties of the cereal and
subsequent products.
Decaffeinated coffee Coffee from which caffeine
has been removed by a solvent extraction process us-
ing aqueous, organic or supercritical solvents.
Decaffeinated tea Tea from which caffeine has

been removed by a solvent extraction process using
aqueous, organic or supercritical solvents.
Decaffeination Removal of caffeine from a sub-
stance such as coffee or tea. Caffeine is removed
from coffee by soaking coffee beans in chemical
solvents or water. The resulting decaffeinated product
contains approximately 3 mg caffeine per 150 ml cup,
compared with 75-150 mg for normal coffee.
Ȗ-Decalactone One of the aroma compounds,
with molecular formula C
10
H
18
O
2
. Synonyms include
decan-4-olide and 5-hexyldihydro-2(3H)-furanone.
Has a fruity, peach-like aroma and is naturally present
in various foods, including fruits and alcoholic
beverages. Microbially synthesized Ȗ-decalactone is
used in food flavourings.
Decanal One of the aldehyde flavour compounds,
which occurs naturally in a wide range of foods and
beverages and is used in flavourings for processed
products.
Decanoic acid Synonym for capric acid. Member
of the medium chain-length saturated fatty acids
with 10 carbon atoms. Found in a range of animal and
vegetable fats and vegetable oils, and, in its free
form, contributes to the flavour of foods and bever-

ages.
Decanol Alcohol with 10 carbon atoms. Along with
some of the other higher alcohols, contributes to the
flavour of foods and beverages, especially alco-
holic beverages, and is also widely used as a sol-
vent.
Decanters Stoppered glass containers into which
wines or spirits are decanted.
Decarbonation Removal of carbon dioxide from a
sample. Required for sample preparation prior to beer
analyses, such as determination of original gravity
and alcohol content.
Decarboxylases Lyases belonging to subclass EC
4.1.1 that remove carboxyl groups from a molecule,
especially amino acids and proteins. When acting on
single substrates, a molecule of CO
2
is eliminated leav-
ing an unsaturated residue.
Decarboxylation Chemical modification involving
the removal of carboxyl groups from organic com-
pounds, generating CO
2
. Can be due to the influence
of enzymes (decarboxylases) or other catalysts,
or can occur spontaneously. Several aroma com-
pounds, including diacetyl, are formed by decar-
boxylation reactions.
Decenoic acid One of the monounsaturated fatty
acids, having the chemical formula C

10
H
18
O
2
. Vari-
ous isomers exist, some of which are used as fla-
vourings, including 4-decenoic acid and 9-decenoic
acid (also known as caproleic acid). Also present as
natural flavour compounds in foods, including
dairy products. The derivative trans-10-hydroxy-2-
decenoic acid occurs in royal jelly and is used as a
marker for this product, while another, 10-oxo-trans-8-
decenoic acid, is produced by mushrooms and ex-
hibits antimicrobial activity.
Dechlorination Process of removing residual chlo-
rine from a substance. In the food and beverages
industries, chlorination usually cannot be considered
without the added expense of dechlorination, as resid-
ual chlorine must be removed to prevent chemical
changes affecting flavour, aroma and colour of the
final product. Activated carbon is usually used in
the beverages industry to dechlorinate and remove
trace levels of outside flavour compounds from
water to be used in producing beer and soft drinks.
A non-chemical means of dechlorination involves use
of a high energy ultraviolet system. This cost effective
process reduces free chlorine levels by up to 99%.
Decoction A liquor containing the concentrated es-
sence of a substance, produced as a result of heating

or boiling.
Decoloration Removal of the colour from an item.
Also known as decolorization.
Decolorization Alternative term for decoloration.
Decomposition Breakdown of matter, including
foods, into its constituent parts. Leads to recycling of
nutrients and their eventual return to the biosphere.
Can be mediated by bacteria or fungi. May lead to
quality deterioration and food poisoning outbreaks.
Can be induced by exposure to airborne microorgan-
isms, storage at room temperature and wetting of
dried foods. Also induced by exposure to light
(
photolysis) or by
autolysis. Can be prevented or
delayed by frozen storage, drying, canning,
pickling, vacuum packaging, controlled at-
mosphere storage, irradiation, pasteurization
or addition of preservatives.
Decortication Removal of the outer layer from
seeds or fruits prior to consumption or further proc-
essing. Also called husking, dehulling or hulling.
Deep freezing A method for preservation of foods by
rapid freezing and storage at -18°C. Freezing pre-
serves foods by preventing microorganisms from
126
Deep frying Degreening
multiplying. Enzymes in the frozen state remain ac-
tive, although at a reduced rate. Commercial freezing
is usually undertaken by one of the following methods:

blast freezing, where air is circulated at -40°C; contact
freezing, in which refrigerants are circulated through
hollow shelves; immersion freezing, where, for exam-
ple, fruit is frozen in a solution of sugar and glycerol;
and cryogenic freezing, using, for example, liquid ni-
trogen spray. Rapid freezing avoids structural change
that would affect flavour or appearance of foods, as
in the shrinkage and distortion of cells by formation of
enlarged ice crystals in the extracellular spaces. Some
quick frozen foods require thawing before use, and
cooking must then be prompt. This method of preser-
vation is widely used for a great variety of foods, in-
cluding bakery products (both ready to eat, and to
be cooked when desired), soups, and precooked
complete meals.
Deep frying Cooking of foods in an amount of hot
fats or oils sufficient to cover them completely during
frying.
Deer Common name given to various species of even-
toed, hoofed, ruminant mammals belonging to the fam-
ily Cervidae. The term is used specifically to describe
any of the small- or medium-sized species of the Cer-
vidae family, as being distinct from other large-sized
species such as elks or moose. Deer are farmed or
hunted for their meat (venison).
Deer meat Alternative term for venison.
Defeathering Removal of feathers from the car-
casses of meat-producing birds, such as poultry,
during processing. If defeathering is not performed
properly, carcasses can be mechanically damaged or

microbially contaminated, both of which are of eco-
nomic importance to the poultry industry.
Defecation Removal of impurities, usually applied to
the stage of purification of sugar juices during
sugar manufacture. Defecation involves clarifica-
tion of sugar juices by heat and lime. The lime is
added to neutralize the organic acids present, after
which the temperature is raised to approximately 95°C.
This lime and heat treatment forms a heavy precipitate
of complex composition, which contains insoluble lime
salts, coagulated albumin, and varying proportions of
fats, waxes and gums. The flocculant precipitate
carries with it most of the finely suspended material of
the juice that has escaped mechanical screening. Sepa-
ration of this precipitate from the juice is undertaken
using a juice clarifier. Degree of clarification has a
great bearing on the boiling house operations, and on
yield and refining quality of raw sugar.
Deficiency diseases Conditions arising due to the
absence of a dietary nutrient, such as one of the essen-
tial vitamins or minerals. Include various types of
anaemia, rickets, scurvy, pellagra, beriberi and goi-
tre. Strategies to counteract these disorders and im-
prove
nutrition
often combine direct dietary interven-
tion (provision of food supplements, food fortifi-
cation, dietary diversification) with agricultural
measures (development of foods of improved nutri-
tional values and bioavailability, development of

improved agricultural practices) and economic meas-
ures for improving food security.
Defoaming agents Substances, often silicon-based,
used to minimize formation of foams during food
processing. These foams would otherwise cause prob-
lems for both the processing operation and final prod-
uct quality. Typical applications where foaming prob-
lems occur include freeze drying, sugar proc-
esses and manufacture of fruit and dietetic soft
drinks. Similar to antifoaming agents.
Defoliation Removal of leaves from plants. Can affect
fruit growth and quality.
Deformation Persistent change in shape or size of a
substance in response to an externally applied force.
Routinely determined for foods during analysis of
rheological properties, and can include puncture
deformation, torsional deformation, breaking deforma-
tion and maximal (peak) deformation.
Defrosting Thawing of frozen foods, or alterna-
tively the freeing of an item, e.g. freezers, of accumu-
lated ice.
Degassing Alternative term for deaeration.
Degradation A form of decomposition. Usually
refers to breakdown of particular compounds in foods.
Can have an adverse effect on quality, e.g. Modori
degradation of proteins in fish surimi, or loss of
pigments in fruits during storage. However, can
also provide benefits, e.g. enzymic degradation of
phytates in plant foods may increase bioavail-
ability

of minerals. May also reduce the allergenic-
ity of allergens, such as gluten.
Degreening Process of ripening or improvement of
skin or peel colour, usually by application of
ethyl-
ene to
citrus fruits (such as satsuma mandarins
and lemons), bananas, rapeseeds and mustard
seeds. Decay tends to be more severe in degreened
fruit because the degreening process itself promotes
decay, and because packaging line fungicide treat-
ments have to be delayed until after degreening. Un-
even degreening of bananas is a ripening disorder
characterized by either partial or delayed yellowing or
by permanent greenness after treatment with exoge-
nous ethylene. Green seed is a significant economic
problem in rapeseeds because the rapeseed oils ex-
tracted from such seed contains chlorophyll-type pig-
ments. Seed crushers can remove the green colour
127
Degumming Denitrification
from rapeseed oil with bleaching clays, but this in-
volves an added expense and poses an environmental
problem.
Degumming The first stage in the purification of
crude oils, which involves removal of phospholip-
ids and colouring materials. Degumming is necessary
to prevent separation and settling of gums (sticky, vis-
cous oil-water emulsions stabilized by phospholip-
ids) during transportation and storage of crude oils, to

reduce oil losses in the subsequent phases of refining,
and to avoid excessive darkening of the oils in the
course of high-temperature deodorization. Degum-
ming agents, such as phosphoric acid, may be used to-
gether with a flocculation agent such as alumina.
During water degumming, phosphatides in seed oils
are removed by centrifugal separation, after precipita-
tion with water. Acid degumming involves removal of
gums and impurities via centrifugal separation after
precipitation with acid and water. By-products of the
degumming process are known as lecithins.
Degumming agents Processing aids used to remove
phospholipids, trace metals and mucilaginous gums
during the initial (degumming) stage of oils and
fats refining. Examples include water, phosphoric
acid and citric acid.
Dehairing Removal of the hair from hides and fleece
of animal carcasses, usually by scalding, singeing or
chemical methods. Carcasses are dehaired as an inter-
vention to reduce microbial load and improve visual
cleanliness prior to dressing.
Dehulling Removal of the hulls from fruits or
seeds prior to consumption. Also called hulling or
husking. This term also relates to removal of the
cluster of leaves from the tops of strawberries prior
to consumption.
Dehydrated foods Alternative term for dried
foods.
Dehydration Alternative term for drying.
Dehydroacetic acid Organic acid used in preserva-

tives to inhibit microbial growth in foods and bever-
ages.
Dehydroascorbic acid Oxidized form of vitamin
C, which together with ascorbic acid
(the reduced
form), makes up the total vitamin C activity in a sub-
stance. Present in many food materials, where it has
been implicated in
browning or discoloration reac-
tions in certain matrices, such as citrus juices. In
breadmaking, dehydroascorbic acid is formed from
ascorbic acid (used in bakery additives) and acts as
an oxidizing agent, promoting formation of disulfide
bonds (important for dough strength).
Dehydrogenases Oxidoreductases that oxidize
substrates by transferring hydrogen atoms to an accep-
tor that is either NAD/NADP or a flavin enzyme.
Dekkera Genus of yeasts of the family Saccharomy-
cetaceae and class Saccharomycetes. Telomorph of
Brettanomyces. Important spoilage microorgan-
isms in several foods and beverages. Dekkera bruxel-
lensis and D. anomala are responsible for the spoilage
of beer and wines. However, at low levels, these
yeasts can have a positive effect on the sensory
properties of specific wines and beers. Typically iso-
lated from barrel aged wines.
Delicatessen foods Speciality ready to eat foods
purchased from delicatessen shops or departments. Ex-
amples include delicatessen salads, imported
cooked meat products and speciality cheese. Also

known as deli foods in the USA.
Delicatessen salads Ready to eat chilled salads
(frequently mayonnaise-coated) obtained from deli-
catessen shops or departments. Examples include
coleslaw, potato salads and herring salads.
Delphinidin One of the anthocyanidins pigments,
often present as a glycoside, and found in many fruits
and vegetables. Displays antioxidative activity.
Deltamethrin Non-systemic pyrethroid insecticide
used to control insect pests on a wide range of
fruits,
vegetables and cereals
; also used in stored cereals
and as a dip or spray for cattle, sheep and swine. Clas-
sified by WHO as moderately hazardous (WHO II).
Demineralization Removal of minerals from sub-
stances. Includes processing steps in food manufacture,
such as for sugar syrups
, drinking water, musts
and whey, and for treatment of food factories ef-
fluents. Processes used to achieve demineralization
include electrodialysis, reverse osmosis and
nanofiltration. Also covers the undesirable removal
of selected minerals from previously healthy tissues
such as bone and tooth enamel, which may be caused
by a variety of factors including nutritional imbalance
and excess acidity, respectively.
Denaturation Structural change, especially in pro-
teins or nucleic acids, in response to extreme con-
ditions of temperature, pH, pressure or salt concentra-

tion, which renders the molecule incapable of perform-
ing its original biological function. Used in food proc-
essing to inactivate detrimental enzymes, or to alter
the gelation properties of proteins such as gelatin
or whey proteins. However, can also be deleterious,
leading to impairment of functional properties such
as water holding capacity in proteinaceous foods,
and to reduced product yields in enzyme catalysis.
Denitrification Process of removing nitrogen or
nitrogen compounds from a substance, or alterna-
128
Densitometry Desalination
tively the liberation of elementary nitrogen from ni-
trogenous compounds in the soil by bacteria.
Densitometry Technique for measuring the optical
density of a material by recording transmission of
light.
Density One of the physical properties of a sub-
stance, defined as the mass contained in a given vol-
ume. Routinely determined for a wide range of foods,
including fruits and vegetables (sometimes related
to ripeness and composition), fats and oils, foods
produced by extrusion, and cereals. Density deter-
minations can also be used as process control steps
in food processing.
Dental caries Disease in which cavities are formed in
the teeth resulting ultimately in dental pain and tooth
loss. Caries formation is associated with the action of
oral Streptococcus mutans strains. Cavity formation
is increased by the consumption of sugar-containing

foods, as the sugar is metabolized by the bacteria to
form acids, which destroy the tooth enamel and sub-
sequently the dentine. Increasing oral saliva produc-
tion, achieved by various means such as chewing
chewing gums, can buffer bacterial acid production
and reduce cavity formation. Sometimes known as car-
ies.
Dental health Measure of the physical condition of an
individual's teeth and gums, or factors influencing their
condition. Cariogenic foods, including many with a
high sugar content, promote development of dental
caries (decay), whilst cariostatic or anticariogenic
foods or ingredients reduce these processes. Fluorida-
tion of drinking water is undertaken with the aim of
improving dental health, and oligosaccharides with
cariostatic properties are being developed for use as
sweeteners.
Dentex Genus of marine fish containing several
species of sea bream.
Deodorization Removal or concealment of an un-
pleasant smell in an item. Deodorization is usually the
last step in edible oil refining, involving vacuum-steam
distillation at elevated temperature, during which free
fatty acids and odoriferous volatile compounds
are removed in order to obtain a bland and colourless
product. Deodorization can be conducted under con-
tinuous, semi-continuous or batch conditions.
Deoxycholate
Salt of deoxycholic acid (one of the
secondary bile acids). Used in surfactants

and se-
lective
media for cell culture, such as deoxycholate-
citrate agar. Also known as desoxycholate.
Deoxymyoglobin Form of myoglobin in which the
ferric iron in the haem moiety is not bound to O
2
, but
is commonly bound to water. Formed initially on cut-
ting of meat and imparts a purple colour to the meat.
Has relatively low oxidative stability and its oxida-
tion to oxymyoglobin restores a red colour to the
meat. Responsible for the purple colour often seen with
meat subjected to vacuum packaging.
Deoxynivalenol One of the Type B trichothecenes
group of mycotoxins, produced by Fusarium spp.
Also known as vomitoxin. Occurs in Fusarium-
infected cereals, primarily those infected with F.
graminearum and F. culmorum. Deoxynivalenol has
been implicated in cases of mycotoxicoses in both hu-
mans and animals. However, large amounts of grain
containing deoynivalenol would have to be consumed
to pose a risk to human health.
Deoxyribonucleases Nucleases, also known as
DNases, that cleave the phosphodiester bonds between
nucleotide subunits in single- or double-stranded DNA.
Include endodeoxyribonucleases (EC 3.1.21, 3.1.22
and 3.1.25) which cleave within DNA molecules and
exodeoxyribonucleases which hydrolyse terminal nu-
cleotides (EC 3.1.11, 3.1.15 and 3.1.16). Endodeoxy-

ribonucleases include the restriction endonucle-
ases.
Deoxyribonucleic acid One of the nucleic acids.
Commonly abbreviated to DNA.
Depolymerization Form of modification in which
biopolymers (e.g. proteins and polysaccha-
rides) are broken down firstly into smaller fractions
(peptides and oligosaccharides) and finally into
individual monomers (amino acids and sugars).
Occurs in pectins and celluloses
during ripening.
Depolymerization of polyacrylamides may lead to
formation of acrylamide in foods during heating
.
Depositors Devices for laying down a body of accu-
mulated matter. In the food industry, they may be used
to place such substances as fillings, toppings, bat-
ters and mixes in position.
Depuration To make or become free from impurities
using controlled purification systems employing ster-
ilized water. Systems can be flow-through or recircu-
lating types, and water sterilization treatments involve
the use of chlorine, UV light, ozone, membrane filters
or iodophors. Depuration is usually applied to purifi-
cation of shellfish, such as oysters and mussels.
Post-harvest depuration in controlled waters can in-
crease the safety of shellfish by reducing the number of
pathogens present following harvesting from moder-
ately polluted water.
Dermatitis Inflammation of the skin. Atopic dermatitis

may be associated with other atopic diseases such as
asthma and type I allergies, including those in re-
sponse to foods.
Desalination Removal of salt, e.g. desalination of
sea water.
129
Desalting Deterioration
Desalting Removal of salt.
Desaturases Includes EC 1.3.1.35 and members of
subclass EC 1.14.99. These oxidoreductases have a
number of uses in the food industry, e.g. fatty acid de-
saturases introduce double bonds into fatty acyl chains
and are useful for production of polyunsaturated
fatty acids. Genetic modification of desaturases in
plants and microorganisms can be used to modify
contents of fatty acids, and cholesterol desaturase
can be used to reduce the cholesterol content of
foods.
Desaturation Process by which a substance is made
less saturated. In the case of organic compounds,
e.g. fatty acids, this involves removal of hydrogen
atoms from adjacent carbon atoms, thereby forming
double bonds and increasing the degree of unsatura-
tion. Such reactions are catalysed by desaturases.
In the food industry, introduction of double bonds into
fatty acyl chains in this way is useful for production of
polyunsaturated fatty acids, intake of which can
have beneficial effects for risk of cardiovascular
diseases development.
Descaling Removal of deposits of scale from an item,

particularly removal of limescale from heating ele-
ments in kettles and boilers. For removal of fish scales,
the alternative term scaling maybe used.
Desiccated coconut Product prepared from coconut
endosperm by shredding and drying. Used in manufac-
ture of sugar confectionery and bakery prod-
ucts.
Desiccation Alternative term for drying.
Designer foods Functional foods targeted towards
a certain purpose such as the prevention of certain dis-
eases, or provision of tailored health benefits.
Desmin One of the animal proteins present in meat
and fish muscle. It is an intermediate filament protein
present in the cytoplasm of skeletal, cardiac and
smooth muscle cells. In skeletal muscle, it is found
near the Z-line of sarcomeres and is thought to be in-
volved in maintaining alignment of the sarcomeres and
in regulation of the distribution and function of mito-
chondria. Post mortem proteolysis of desmin by
calpains has been demonstrated with effects on meat
tenderness and water holding capacity.
Desmosterol Member of the sterols group, found in
a variety of animal and plant foods including
goat
milk
, sea urchins and wild palm oils. It has also
been detected in human milk.
Desmutagenicity Specific type of antimutagenic-
ity relating to the ability of a chemical to counteract
the mutagenicity of another chemical. This attribute

has been demonstrated for several foods or isolated
food components, and contributes to their associated
health benefits. Foods and components displaying this
property include tea polyphenols, extracts of sea-
weeds, cheese and fermented milk. Some mi-
croorganisms used in food fermentations have also
been shown to have desmutagenic activity, including
Bifidobacterium spp. and some lactic acid bacte-
ria.
Desorption Physical or chemical sorption process
by which a substance (gas, liquid or solid) that has
been adsorbed or absorbed by a liquid or solid material
is removed from the material. Desorption isotherms of
foods during drying are commonly studied to quantify
reductions in moisture content. An O
2
adsorption-
desorption process has been observed in dough dur-
ing breadmaking. A thermal desorption step is used
in analyte separation during GC analyses.
Desoxycholate Synonym for deoxycholate.
Dessert mixes Dried instant foods used to prepare
desserts, typically by adding water or milk. Also
called pudding mixes.
Desserts Sweet foods usually served as the last course
of a meal. The term encompasses many different types
of food, including dairy- and fruit-based products,
cooked or raw. Available frozen, chilled or shelf-
stable, as well as in the form of dessert mixes.
Popular desserts include cheesecakes, mousses,

gateaux, fruit products and ice cream products.
Dessert wines Sweet wines of varying alcohol con-
tent usually drunk in small amounts as an accompani-
ment to the dessert course of a meal. May also refer to
fortified wines.
Desulfitation Removal of salts of sulfurous acid,
usually sulfites, and SO
2
. Microbes can be used for
desulfitation of waste water (effluent) from food fac-
tories. Wines for distillation can be desulfited using
CaCO
3
. Musts that are preserved by heavy sulfitation,
and used for adjustment of sweetness of wines, require
desulfitation before use. In the Brimstone winemak-
ing system, clarified grape juices are preserved with
high levels of SO
2
(1200-2000 mg/l) and then desul-
fited just before fermentation.
Desulfovibrio Genus of sulfate reducing, obligately
anaerobic, rod-shaped Gram negative bacteria of
the family Desulfovibrionaceae. Occur in aquatic envi-
ronments, including fresh and salt water sediments,
and also in the gastrointestinal tracts of animals, and in
faeces. Capable of reducing sulfur compounds to hy-
drogen sulfide.
Detergents Surfactants, such as soaps, used for
cleaning purposes.

Deterioration Spoilage process involving a decline
in food quality. Can occur during storage via the ac-
tions of microorganisms or chemical reactions. Can