Water and Water Activity

The Component of Food

Definition
Water : a colourless, transparent, odourless, liquid which
forms the seas, lakes, rivers, and rain and is the basis of
the fluids of living organisms
Water is a compound of oxygen and hydrogen (chemical
formula: H2O) with highly distinctive physical and
chemical properties: it is able to dissolve many other
substances; its solid form (ice) is less dense than the
liquid form; its boiling point, viscosity, and surface
tension are unusually high for its molecular weight, and it
is partially dissociated into hydrogen and hydroxyl ions

Water Structure
H

O
1 molecule of water is
made up of 2 hydrogen atoms
bonded with 1 oxygen atom

WATER STRUCTURE

O
The bond that forms water
is a covalent bond

1 molecule of water

A LOT OF MOLECULES
OF WATER

The state of the water

Gaseous state
Liquid state
Solid state (ice)

Form of Water in Foods

1. Constitutional water
2. Hydration water
3. Bulk/solvent/free water

Form of Water in Foods

Form of Water in Foods

1. Constitutional water
Most strongly bound
Is not available as solvent or to support
enzyme activity
Un-freezable water (at -40oC)

Form of Water in Foods

2. Hydration water
Mostly not freezable at -40oC
Influences on the physical properties of
solutes
Increases the rate of most reactions

Form of Water in Foods

3. Bulk/solvent water
Fills capillaries and pores
Retains all the properties of water
Increases molecular mobility
Decrease viscosity

Freezable
Physically constrained within the
macromolecular matrix

Water content of Food & Drinks

Water Activity

Water Activity (Aw)

If you place a sample of food in a sealed
container the moisture in the air space will
come to an equilibrium value
Aw = defined as the equilibrium relative
humidity (ERH) of the air space divided by
100
Aw = ERH/100

Range of water activity values

Aw is expressed as a decimal fraction of
the equilibrium relative humidity (ERH) of
a particular material.

0 (bone dry)1.00 (pure water)

E.g., a sample containing a water activity
reading of 0.91 is equivalent to an (ERH)
reading of 91%.

The concept of water activity (Aw)

Physical properties of biological materials is are
modified by the presence, amount and activity of
water
Aw is a measure of the availability of water for
chemical reactions and microbial growth
NOT a measure of the total moisture content
which includes bound water.

Aw is important because it affects:

1. Stability
2. Degradation by chemical reactions,
moulds, yeasts, bacteria
3. Texture
4. Shelf life

Aw of common foods
>0.95 Fresh fruit, meat, milk
0.95-9 Cheese
0.9-0.85 Margarine,
0.85-0.8 Salted meats
0.8-0.75 Jam
0.75-0.65 Nuts
0.65-0.60 Honey
0.5 Pasta
0.3 Cookies
0.2 Dried veg., crackers

Gram ve 0.97
Gram +ve 0.90
Yeasts 0.88
Moulds 0.80
Halophiles 0.75
Xerophiles 0.65

Critical Aw

Control of water activity

Substances which bind water include:
Glycols (PEGs, propylene glycol)
Alcohols
Sugars (sorbitol, high fructose corn syrup)
Calcium and sodium salts
Glycerin
Gums (xanthan)
Proteins

Using Aw in food preservation

N.B. low Aw does not prevent the presence of
microorganisms in a sample, it only reduces
growth.
The more tightly water is bound, the lower its
chemical potential hence Aw.
Therefore modification of Aw can result in
preservation of food without the addition of
preservatives.

Physical preservation and Aw

Utilized in a wide variety of food
preservation procedures :

Evaporation
Condensation
Drying/dehydration
Salting
Brining
Syruping
Freezing

Remove water

Binding water

Is water content the same

as water activity (Aw)?