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Food Chemistry

Moisture content

The total amount of water in a food, expressed on a wet basis (mass of water per mass of wet sample) or dry basis (mass of water per mass of dry solids).

Real-life application

What determines whether a bag of wheat, rice or spice powder is safe to store long-term or will spoil and grow mould.

Related terms

Water activity

Food Chemistry

The ratio of the vapour pressure of water in a food to the vapour pressure of pure water at the same temperature. It measures how much water is available for microbial growth and chemical reactions — not how much water is present.

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