TY - JOUR
T1 - Water activity in liquid food systems
T2 - A molecular scale interpretation
AU - Maneffa, Andrew J.
AU - Stenner, Richard
AU - Matharu, Avtar S.
AU - Clark, James H.
AU - Matubayasi, Nobuyuki
AU - Shimizu, Seishi
PY - 2017/12/15
Y1 - 2017/12/15
N2 - Water activity has historically been and continues to be recognised as a key concept in the area of food science. Despite its ubiquitous utilisation, it still appears as though there is confusion concerning its molecular basis, even within simple, single component solutions. Here, by close examination of the well-known Norrish equation and subsequent application of a rigorous statistical theory, we are able to shed light on such an origin. Our findings highlight the importance of solute-solute interactions thus questioning traditional, empirically based “free water” and “water structure” hypotheses. Conversely, they support the theory of “solute hydration and clustering” which advocates the interplay of solute-solute and solute-water interactions but crucially, they do so in a manner which is free of any estimations and approximations.
AB - Water activity has historically been and continues to be recognised as a key concept in the area of food science. Despite its ubiquitous utilisation, it still appears as though there is confusion concerning its molecular basis, even within simple, single component solutions. Here, by close examination of the well-known Norrish equation and subsequent application of a rigorous statistical theory, we are able to shed light on such an origin. Our findings highlight the importance of solute-solute interactions thus questioning traditional, empirically based “free water” and “water structure” hypotheses. Conversely, they support the theory of “solute hydration and clustering” which advocates the interplay of solute-solute and solute-water interactions but crucially, they do so in a manner which is free of any estimations and approximations.
KW - Kirkwood-Buff theory
KW - Polyol
KW - Statistical thermodynamics
KW - Sugar
KW - Water activity
KW - Water structure
UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85020840701&origin=inward&txGid=23231f51938338b16ad847645073715d
U2 - 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.06.046
DO - 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.06.046
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
C2 - 28763960
AN - SCOPUS:85020840701
SN - 0308-8146
VL - 237
SP - 1133
EP - 1138
JO - Food Chemistry
JF - Food Chemistry
ER -