Moisture content

How it is used

A routine test for flour, grains, nuts, dried fruit, cheese and snacks. Labs use oven drying, often at about 105 °C until constant weight, or faster moisture analyzers. Specifications give a maximum, for example 'moisture: max. 14%'. Results can be on a wet basis or a dry basis, so always say which.

Example sentences

1. The moisture content of the hazelnut kernels is above the limit in our specification, so we cannot accept the lot.

2. Higher moisture content made the crackers go soft after two weeks.

Common collocations

• final moisture content
• determine moisture content
• moisture analyzer
• dry basis
• wet basis

Related terms

• water activityA measure from 0 to 1, written aw, of how much of the water in a food is free for microorganisms and chemical reactions; pure water has a value of 1.0.
• dryingRemoving water from food, usually with heat and moving air, to lower its water activity so that microorganisms cannot grow and the product keeps for a long time.
• textureThe way a food feels in the hand and mouth, such as hard, soft, crisp, chewy, smooth or creamy, which comes from its physical structure.
• specificationA document that sets out the agreed requirements for a raw material, packaging or product, such as composition, chemical and microbiological limits, appearance and packing.
• quality controlThe checks, measurements and tests carried out on raw materials, products in process and finished goods to make sure they meet the agreed specifications.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• moisture content · Agriculture

More terms: Food Chemistry and Composition

• pH
• acidity
• protein
• carbohydrate
• lipid oxidation
• Maillard reaction
• enzymatic browning