Water activity and its importance in food manufacturing
August 2012Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Free water in food products can be responsible for the growth of undesirable organisms such as bacteria or fungi, as well as undesirable chemical or biochemical reactions. For this reason, it makes sense to monitor and control the water activity (aw) levels; which are defined as the current volume and availability of free water. The rate and extent of reactions generally increases with increasing aw until a maximum level is reached (usually 0.6-0.8 aw), followed by a drop-off with further increases above 0.75-0.85 aw.
After researching the problem, Swiss based Novasina has released a modular, multi-channel water activity device that fulfils requirements of several organisations such as FDA and international regulations such as HACCP concerning traceability and safety of food products. The new LabMaster-aw system allows measurements to be made with accuracy not previously attainable. All the latest sensor, design, electronic and software technologies have been integrated. Intelligent high-precision measuring cells, modular expandability, a temperature controlled chamber, easy operation and a large working and measurement range have all been designed to enhance usability.
The concept of water activity is not considered a routine measurement in most food laboratories, however, obtaining safe free water levels in food products is becoming more important; especially to maintain the chemical stability of today’s packaged foods.
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