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Moisture and water activity measure different characteristics.
Moisture describes how much water is associated with a product. Water activity describes how available the water is within the product.
Two supplements can have similar moisture content and different water activity.
Moisture testing can support evaluation of:
Water activity can provide useful information about:
Ingredients interact with water differently.
Proteins, carbohydrates, fibres, salts and other ingredients can affect how tightly water is held in the product.
That is why total moisture does not automatically predict water activity.
Use moisture when your question is:
How much moisture is associated with this material?
Consider water activity when your question is:
How available is the water within this product?
Consider both where both pieces of information support the decision.
No.
Water activity does not tell you what microorganisms are present.
It can provide supporting product information, but microbial quality requires microbiological testing.
Not by itself.
Depending on the product, shelf-life decisions may involve:
No.
Yes.
No.
No.
PBR provides moisture and water activity testing for applicable matrices.