Knowledge Base

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Water activity: a better way to monitor moisture in plastics

Injection molding plastic parts with moisture-laden resin can lead to brittle, unattractive, or otherwise imperfect parts. Water activity can help.

Cookies University: Cultivating Equity Through Education and Empowerment

Water activity: an extra barrier to microbial growth in sauces and dressings

Most sauces and dressings have high water activity values. What keeps them safe? Combining low pH, low water activity, or both. Here's how.

Water activity in pharmaceutical applications

Water activity measures the energy status of water – and energy status is a better way to evaluate moisture-related reactions that damage pharmaceuticals.

Water activity and tobacco

Curing tobacco changes its chemical composition and moisture. Tightly controlling moisture allows quality control managers to deliver a consistent product.

Water activity in functional foods

Functional foods need a shelf life that guarantees both the safety and the effectiveness of the functional ingredient. Water activity can help.

Water activity in snack foods

Many snack foods are famous for their texture, which is determined by water activity – not moisture content. Here's how water activity is beneficial.

Water activity: a better moisture metric for coffee and tea

Products like tea have so little water in them that loss-on-drying methods aren’t very precise. Water activity can give a lot more information.

Water activity and shelf-stable meat products

Water activity. If you’re making shelf-stable meat, you’re required to measure it. But you can also profit from it, and this guide will show you how.

Water activity for monitoring the quality of dried distillers grain

Ethanol producers can boost efficiency, save money, and ensure the quality of their products by using water activity.

Solve moisture problems in powders and spices

Flow issues, clumping problems, and caking trouble in powders and all be solved with a better understanding of one simple measurement: water activity.

Sugar alternatives, moisture content and water activity

Consumers are clamoring for low- or no-sugar alternatives to their favorite snacks. Here’s how food companies can deliver great products without adverse effects.

Water activity and seeds

Storing seeds at the correct water activity (or relative humidity) level minimizes enzymatic activity, prevents fungal growth, and maintains viability.

Karl Fischer vs. water activity in pharmaceuticals

Karl Fischer titration measures moisture content in a sample. Water activity describes the energy status of the water. Studies say one is better.

Mold in snack foods: Why it still causes so many recalls

5 things to know about mold before formulating snack foods. There have been more than a dozen mold and microbe-related food safety recalls in the last year.

Solving the water problem in gummies

Learn how water activity and isotherms solve gummy production issues. Prevent weeping, optimize drying times, and ensure quality in vegan or sugar-free formulas.

Unlocking the power of water activity in cosmetics

If someone were to ask you what blush, eyeliner and lotion all had in common, chances are your first answer wouldn’t be water.

Seven steps to ensuring safe, consistent cold-pressed bars

Cold-pressed bars are often made without chemical preservatives or large amounts of humectants. So how can manufacturers ensure safety and quality?

Measuring water activity in nuts and dried fruit increases quality and profits

Water activity measurements make it far easier to nail the perfect taste, texture and shelf life. It also helps prevent losing yield to overdrying.

Measuring moisture in cereal and grain-based products

Water activity — measured and managed correctly — maximizes quality and shelf life in bread, crackers, snacks, and other cereal or grain-based products.

Water activity applications in sugar quality assessments

Discover how water activity prevents sugar caking and clumping. Protect product flowability in silos and reduce shipping risks using moisture sorption data.

Water activity in candy and confectionery

Water activity is a high-precision measurement that can help candy, confectionery and chocolate producers maximize flavor, texture, and quality.

AQUALAB Research Report | April 2026

A roundup of April 2026 research and technical mentions citing AQUALAB instruments across food science, ingredient stability, confectionery, and energy research.

Water activity: A better moisture metric for pet food

Find the ideal water activity range for your pet food product that maximizes profit, nutrition, and tastiness while keeping it safe from microbes and mold.

Market insights

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AQUALAB Research Report | April 2026

A roundup of April 2026 research and technical mentions citing AQUALAB instruments across food science, ingredient stability, confectionery, and energy research.

Water activity: an extra barrier to microbial growth in sauces and dressings

Most sauces and dressings have high water activity values. What keeps them safe? Combining low pH, low water activity, or both. Here's how.

Water activity: a better way to monitor moisture in plastics

Injection molding plastic parts with moisture-laden resin can lead to brittle, unattractive, or otherwise imperfect parts. Water activity can help.

Water activity: A better moisture metric for pet food

Find the ideal water activity range for your pet food product that maximizes profit, nutrition, and tastiness while keeping it safe from microbes and mold.

Water activity: a better moisture metric for coffee and tea

Products like tea have so little water in them that loss-on-drying methods aren’t very precise. Water activity can give a lot more information.

Water activity in snack foods

Many snack foods are famous for their texture, which is determined by water activity – not moisture content. Here's how water activity is beneficial.

Water activity in pharmaceutical applications

Water activity measures the energy status of water – and energy status is a better way to evaluate moisture-related reactions that damage pharmaceuticals.

Water activity in functional foods

Functional foods need a shelf life that guarantees both the safety and the effectiveness of the functional ingredient. Water activity can help.

Water activity in candy and confectionery

Water activity is a high-precision measurement that can help candy, confectionery and chocolate producers maximize flavor, texture, and quality.

Water activity for monitoring the quality of dried distillers grain

Ethanol producers can boost efficiency, save money, and ensure the quality of their products by using water activity.

Water activity and tobacco

Curing tobacco changes its chemical composition and moisture. Tightly controlling moisture allows quality control managers to deliver a consistent product.

Water activity and shelf-stable meat products

Water activity. If you’re making shelf-stable meat, you’re required to measure it. But you can also profit from it, and this guide will show you how.

Water activity and seeds

Storing seeds at the correct water activity (or relative humidity) level minimizes enzymatic activity, prevents fungal growth, and maintains viability.

Unlocking the power of water activity in cosmetics

If someone were to ask you what blush, eyeliner and lotion all had in common, chances are your first answer wouldn’t be water.

Sugar alternatives, moisture content and water activity

Consumers are clamoring for low- or no-sugar alternatives to their favorite snacks. Here’s how food companies can deliver great products without adverse effects.

Solve moisture problems in powders and spices

Flow issues, clumping problems, and caking trouble in powders and all be solved with a better understanding of one simple measurement: water activity.

Seven steps to ensuring safe, consistent cold-pressed bars

Cold-pressed bars are often made without chemical preservatives or large amounts of humectants. So how can manufacturers ensure safety and quality?

Mold in snack foods: Why it still causes so many recalls

5 things to know about mold before formulating snack foods. There have been more than a dozen mold and microbe-related food safety recalls in the last year.

Measuring water activity in nuts and dried fruit increases quality and profits

Water activity measurements make it far easier to nail the perfect taste, texture and shelf life. It also helps prevent losing yield to overdrying.

Measuring moisture in cereal and grain-based products

Water activity — measured and managed correctly — maximizes quality and shelf life in bread, crackers, snacks, and other cereal or grain-based products.

Karl Fischer vs. water activity in pharmaceuticals

Karl Fischer titration measures moisture content in a sample. Water activity describes the energy status of the water. Studies say one is better.

Solving the water problem in gummies

Learn how water activity and isotherms solve gummy production issues. Prevent weeping, optimize drying times, and ensure quality in vegan or sugar-free formulas.

Water activity applications in sugar quality assessments

Discover how water activity prevents sugar caking and clumping. Protect product flowability in silos and reduce shipping risks using moisture sorption data.

Customer stories

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Tillamook Country Smoker’s perfect jerky and automated processes

Tillamook was born in a backyard smokehouse in the 1960s. Even with extreme growth, TCS has remained committed to producing the most authentic beef jerky on the market.

Sunrise Fresh From top readings to top-selling on Amazon.

Sunrise Fresh used the power of precision water activity to tighten spec, improve quality, and become the #1 dried cherry seller on Amazon.

Peaceful Fruits: Fast product development & positive mission

Ohio fruit snack company Peaceful Fruits is on a mission to provide healthy snacks, economic opportunity, and meaningful employment.

Optimizing natural sweeteners with Arboreal Bioinnovations

Research into Stevia and how best to use it gives Arboreal a competitive advantage in the alternative sweeteners industry.

Olympia Provisions -Not your average meats.

Olympia’s commitment to craft and perfection led them to AQUALAB. Their AQUALAB system has helped them improve their QA and QC and impress inspectors.

New research on pathogens in low-moisture foods is coming soon

Consumers and government entities expect commercially prepared foods to be safe. Accurate water activity measurements are helping ensure they are.

Mastering food science to make indigenous plants more accessible

Small farmers on Pacific Islands have difficulty competing in the global food industry, so the crops they harvest don’t usually make it to market – or at least they didn’t until Voyaging Foods came along.

How Thorne does the research right

With the wellness industry growing at astounding rates year after year, it can seem nearly impossible to stand out. Thorne HealthTech, however, is officially up to the task. With a commitment to "science-driven wellness" and product quality and purity, Thorne is setting itself apart from competitors and helping consumers live happier and healthier lives.

How Sunrise Freshcreates excellent all-natural dried fruit

Like any family business, Sunrise Fresh values its traditions. Fourth-generation farmers Case and Jake Samuel, the current Sunrise Fresh team, are building on the small, family-owned brand their family established before them.

How Simmons Foods found the sweet spot

Simmons Foods is one of North America’s largest producers of poultry, pet and animal nutrition products. We recently sat down with Rick Stoller, Process Improvement Manager at Simmons, to get his hard-won insights on managing moisture in pet food – and the significant impact it can have on their bottom line.

Education guides

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The food manufacturer’s complete guide to water activity (aw)

For a cheap ingredient, water can cause a lot of expensive problems–microbial growth, mold, loss of texture, caking and clumping, rancidity, and vitamin loss. The best way to understand water in your product is by learning how to measure water activity.

The food manufacturer’s complete guide to shelf life

Shelf Life means a period after the date of packaging during which a food product has no significant risk. We've assembled everything you need to know.

The beginner’s guide to shelf life stability and packaging

Your product may exhibit some changes during shelf life, but the end of shelf life is defined as a point where the product is no longer acceptable to consumers. Learn about shelf life stability and packaging in this guide.

The food manufacturer's step-by-step guide to lowering water activity with humectants

There are countless humectants on the market, and many ways to use them profitably — but which one is right for you, and how should you put it to work?

The beginner's guide to measuring yield and waste in food manufacturing

Understanding and eliminating waste is a powerful way to boost profits – but where to start? Try exploring these seven common methods for waste reduction.

Introduction to water activity (aw): The beginner's guide to water activity's role in food production

This complete guide helps you to understand the water in your product with water activity (aw). Learn why water activity measurements are so powerful.

The food manufacturer's step-by-step guide to eradicate caking and clumping

Powders exposed to moisture take on water vapor, stop flowing, and manufacturing becomes a mess. These three simple steps will prevent caking and clumping.

Expertise library

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Which moisture balance is perfect for you?

[Read more] Trying to pick the perfect moisture balance out of the many options? It can be daunting to choose the best moisture analyzer.

What is a moisture analyzer? How do balances, ovens, titrations and NIR compare?

A moisture analyzer determines the moisture content of a sample. There are several types of moisture content (Mc) instruments.

What do DVS moisture sorption isotherms say about food stability?

Moisture sorption isotherms are a powerful tool for predicting and extending the shelf life of a product, displaying changes in water activity over time.

Water activity for food safety and quality

Water activity is the leading parameter for food quality and safety by controlling microbial growth, prevent caking and clumping, determine shelf life, and plenty more.

Water activity definition

Water activity is defined as the ratio of the vapor pressure of water in a material (p) to the vapor pressure of pure water (po) at the same temperature.

Water activity before and after freezing

Does a food product's water activity level change when frozen? What about thawed? After a month of research and testing, here's what our scientists said.

Water activity USP 922 standard in pharma

With water activity’s greater popularity in pharmaceutical has come new regulations and standards.

Volatile ingredients & water activity: Choosing the right sensor

When measuring the water activity (also known as aw, RH, ERH, or vapor pressure) of a product, certain ingredients – volatile compounds – can cause problems. Some water activity sensors are better protected against volatiles than others. So how much protection do you need?

Using hurdle technology for safer and fresher food

Less processing plus longer-term preservation – hurdle technology offers big benefits. But which of the 50+ hurdles is right for you?

Use water activity to get—and maintain—the right texture

Candy, confectionery, chips and snacks – without the right texture, food loses its appeal. Aw helps you nail the perfect texture.

Webinars

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Why Powders Misbehave

Caking, clumping, solidifying in storage, sticking to machinery — if you work with powders, you’ve seen the obvious messes and misbehaviors

What vapor sorption can and can’t tell you

Moisture content and water activity. Each has its assigned roles and responsibilities. They’re often used separately, and for very different purposes. But can they work together?

Water Activity in Animal Feed

Correctly managing moisture in animal feed is a game-changer. Not only can improving moisture processes lead to safer and more consistent products, but doing so can also produce an impressive financial impact. This webinar examines the key to moisture control success: water activity.

Water Activity and pH: Working Together for Product Safety

Combining water activity and pH to prevent microbial growth creates a powerful synergistic effect. Here’s how to maximize efficiency and safety.

Water Activity and Cannabis

Water activity, relative humidity, moisture content – find out which will make the greatest impact on the quality and consistency of your product.

Water Activity 201: Specifications and Shelf Life

Step one is learning that water activity measurements are key to making shelf life predictions. Step two is learning how to do it yourself.

Water Activity 102: Microbial Growth

Watch Mary G., head of AQUALAB’s R&D lab, explain how to apply water activity and related principles for maximum effectiveness and risk prevention.

Water Activity 101: Master the basics

A sound understanding of water activity gives you the power to improve so much about your product, its packaging, and how you manufacture it. Let’s start with the basics.

The Role of Water Activity in Coffee Quality

Coffee’s quality is closely tied to its water activity levels. Join us for an in-depth look at how water activity can ensure excellent coffee.

Substituting sugar: Pros and cons of 5 top alternative sweeteners

Demand for healthier snacks and treats continues to grow. Innovative new sweeteners abound. But in the scramble to develop the next great clean-label snack, food companies are finding that each sugar substitute comes with a special set of challenges.