Prediction of water activity of osmotic solutions

Abstract

Models to correlate and predict water activity in aqueous solutions of single and multiple solutes, including electrolytes, relevant for osmotic processing of foods are reviewed. During the last decade a significant number of theoretical thermodynamic models that are applicable to these systems have been developed and published. Though their use is still limited, their performance is in general very good, similar to the best traditional empirical equations. Their predictive character together with built-in capabilities to work at different temperatures and in some cases pressure suggests that an increased effort to their wide use should take place. It was found that predictions of water activity in aqueous solutions may easily be made with average relative deviations of less than 2%; this value is of the same order or in some cases less than the typical error of current instrumentation available to measure water activity.