Food Chemistry Basics: What is water activity and Why do cookies or chips become soggy ?

#foodscience #foodtechnology #foodchemistry #wateractivity #cookies
This video highlights the ability of cookies/chips to absorb water when exposed to a high-moisture environment. Water activity is ratio of fugacity of water in its pure state to fugacity of water in a solution. The term "water activity" describes how cookies or chips absorb water when they are in an environment with a high relative humidity. Foods with a water activity below 0.6 are deemed microbially safe, and those with water activity below 0.4 do not undergo chemical spoilage. However, water activity being a thermodynamic parameter can only describe those changes in food systems that are thermodynamic in nature.
The lecture covers the following:
a. 0:19What is water activity?
b. 0:42 How is water activity related to vapor pressure and relative humidity?
c. 1:23 What happens to cookies in a high or low-moisture environment?
d. 2:28 What are the mitigation strategies?

[@Vaibhav-k3v]

Great explanation! Very informative!