The Amount of Moisture Available in Foods is Designated by the Term

Question

The amount of moisture available in foods is designated by the term
A) fluid availability.
B) water activity.
C) dampness quotient.
D) aqueous usability.
E) hydro factor.

Accepted Answer

Water activity (aw) is a measure of the amount of moisture available in a food. It is defined as the ratio of the vapor pressure of the food over the vapor pressure of pure water at the same temperature. A higher water activity means more moisture is available, which can affect the growth of microorganisms and the shelf life of a product. The other options (A, C, D, E) are not commonly used terms in the field of food science.