ABSTRACT

The water activity concept has been widely used in food processing and preservation, as Scott [1] emphasized that active water is much more important to the stability (i.e., reactivity) of food than the total amount of water present. It is possible to develop generic rules or limits for food stability based on water activity, and microbial growth, chemical reactions, and physical changes can be correlated with water activity. This chapter discusses the effects of water activity on microbial growth, fat oxidation, nonenzymatic and enzymatic browning, vitamin losses, and texture.