Back to Basics with Moisture Analysis

A moisture assay can be one of the most important analyses performed on a food product, yet one of the most difficult from which to obtain accurate and precise data, says Robert Bradley ([email protected]), Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Food Science, University of Wisconsin.

Moisture levels control many properties of food, including water activity (A_w), shelf stability, standards of identity, crystallization, and pumpability. Conversely, the type of packaging used can influence and control moistur…