Although the desiccator method is very commonly used for water activity determination and preparation of sorption isotherms, there are some errors arising from this method that were recently discussed by Lewicki and Pomaranska-Lazuka (2003). According to their study, it was shown that error comes from the disturbance of equilibrium caused by opening the desiccators, taking the samples, and closing it again. These disturbances cause adsorption of water from the surrounding air by samples with low water activities and desorption of water from samples having high water activities. If desorption occurs, the results are not affected significantly since adsorption occurs slowly. However, if adsorption occurs, water activity is affected significantly since adsorption is a fast process. To minimize these errors the following recommendations were given (Lewicki & Pomaranska-Lazuka, 2003): 1. When multiple samples are used in one desiccator, weighting bottles with covers should be used. When the desiccator is opened, all weighting bottles should be closed and then samples should be weighed. 2. If weighting bottles cannot be used, water activity of the sample should be measured each time after it is weighed. 3. The type of sample holders used, water activities of samples are measured should always be specified.A moisture sorption isotherm describes the relationship between water activity and the equilibrium moisture content of a food product at constant temperature. It is also called the equilibrium moisture content curve. Equilibrium moisture content (X*) is the moisture content of a substance at equilibrium with a given partial pressure of the vapor. It is used to describe the final moisture content that will be reached during drying. Free moisture content is the moisture content in a substance in excess of equilibrium moisture content (X – X*). Free moisture can be removed by drying under the given percent relative humidity. The moisture content data can be given in a dry or wet basis. Moisture content is in a dry basis if it is expressed as the ratio of the amount of moiture in the food to the amount of dry solid (kg of moisture/kg of dry solid). If the moisture content of a sample is described as the ratio of the amount of water in the food to the total amount of wet solid (kg of moisture/kg of wet solid), it is in a wet basis. Moisture content is usually given in a wet basis to describe the composition of the food material. It is more common to use moisture content in a dry basis to describe moisture changes during drying.
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