Table of Contents

1. Introduction - Historical Highlights of Water Activity Research. Jorge Chirife and Anthony J. Fontana, Jr. 2. Water Activity - Fundamentals and Relationships. David S. Reid. 3. Water Activity and Glass Transition. Yrjo H. Roos. 4. Water Mobility in Foods. Shelly J. Schmidt. 5. Water Activity Prediction and Moisture Sorption Isotherms. T.P. Labuza and B. Altunakar. 6. Measurement of Water Activity, Moisture Sorption Isotherms, and Moisture Content of Foods. Anthony J. Fontana, Jr. 7. Moisture Effects on Food Chemical Stability. Leonard N. Bell. 8. Water Activity and Physical Stability. Gaelle Roudaut. 9. Diffusion and Sorption Kinetics of Water in Foods. T.P. Labuza and B. Altunakar. 10. Effects of Water Activity on Microbial Stability - as a Hurdle in Food Preservation. Maria S. Tapia, Stella M. Alzamora, and Jorge Chirife. 11. Principles of Intermediate-Moisture Foods and Related Technology. Petros S. Taoukis and Michelle Richardson. 12. Desorption Phenomena in Food Dehydration Processes. G.V. Barbosa-Canovas and P. Juliano. 13. Applications of Water Activity Management in the Food Industry. Jorge Welti-Chanes, Emmy Perez, Jose Angel Guerrero-Beltran, Stella M. Alzamora, and Fidel Vergara-Balderas. 14. Applications of Water Activity in Non-Food Systems. Anthony J. Fontana, Jr. and Gaylon S. Campbell. 15. The Future of Water Activity in Food Processing and Preservation. Cynthia M. Stewart, Ken A. Buckle, and Martin B. Cole. Appendix A: Water Activity of Saturated Salt Solutions. Appendix B: Water Activity of Unsaturated Salt Solutions at 25-C. Appendix C: Water Activity and Isotherm Equations. Appendix D: Minimum Water Activity Limits for Growth of Microorganisms. Appendix E: Water Activity Values of Selected Food Ingredients and Products. Appendix F: Water Activity Values of Select Consumer and Pharmaceutical Products. Index

About the Author

Gustavo V. Barbosa-Canovas , Ph.D., Professor of Food Engineering, Center for Nonthermal Processing of Food, Washington State University, Pullman, WA Anthony J. Fontana, Jr. , Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Decagon Devices, Inc., Pullman, WA Shelly J. Schmidt , Ph.D., Professor of Food Chemistry, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL Theodore P. Labuza , Ph.D., Morse Alumni Distinguished Professor of Food Science and Engineering; Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN