Water, Food Resource [http://food.oregonstate.edu/], Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

Chirife Water, Food Resource [http://food.oregonstate.edu/], Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

WATER

Food & Ingredients	\|	Educ. Serv.	\|	Tech Serv.	\|	Market Serv.	\|	E-Commerce Serv.

REPRINTS, COPIES
Water Activity

Physical Properties

Minimum Aw values for growth of microorganisms

Water Beverage

Are there any references related to water and water use?
How can I obtain a reference or publication on this page?

http://www.southwest.net/aquacheck/

Aquacheck has high quality water purification.

http://www.decagon.com/aqualab/

Aqualab of Decagon has numerous pages on the theory and application of water activity to product (food) safety and quality. Included are products, customer support and additional information.

http://www.backpackbeveragedispenser.com/Water_beverage_dispenser.htm

Backpack Beverage Dispenser of bottles and bulk water.

http://wwwdwr.water.ca.gov/

http://www.beverageeducation.com/

beverageeducation.com has information on water, carbon dioxide and sweeteners.

California Department of Water Resources

http://www.bottlewatervision.com

Bottle Water Vision offers new and used bottling equipment, bottling machinery, bottle fillers and used machinery.

http://www.caitechnologies.com/water.htm

Cordonna Associates Inc. has water treatment products including water softeners, reverse osmosis, automatic backwashing filters, ultraviolet units and other.

http://giardiaclub.com/

Giardia has a number of products and information how to decrease the potential of obtaining this if hiking, backpacking or travelling in the Third World.

http://www.software-exchange.com/about-us.html

KDF Water Filters for Health is a site selling water filters. It also discusses some of the concerns regarding drinkable water. It includes links to many health related sites.

http://www.lifesourcewater.com/

LifeSource has water filtration systems. Includes products and information. LifeSource provides a water softener alternative to salt-based water softener systems. The life source water system uses no salt magnets maintenance free.

http://purewater-coffee.com/

Macro Solutions LLL has a water purifier to give fresh water for drinking and/or use in coffee.

http://www.mgwater.com/

Magnesium Deficiency, Heart Attack and Drinking Water

http://Matco-Norca.com/

Matco-Norca.com is a Chemical resistant Gate valve specifically designed for Reclaimed/Recycled Water. The Valve is Purple in color which Designates Non-Potable water lines.

http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/

National Water-Quality Assessment Program

http://reverseosmosisproducts.com/

BJ Choice Water Systems has filters, conditioners, reverse osmosis an d other water storage devices.

http://www.saratogaspringwater.com/

Saratoga Spring Water has finest spring water products available.

http://www.usda.gov/oce/waob/jawf/drought.htm

USDA Drought Information Center has links to a large number of pages.

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/index.html

Water Science for School has information on earth's water, water basics, water-use information, water Q&A, on other topics and pictures.

http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/fst/fvc/Venture/venture4_safety.html

Venture has an article on water activity as a critical factor in food safety.

http://www.dfst.csiro.au/water_fs.htm

Water Activity In Food

http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/outreach/

Water Chemistry (quality and safety) Program at UW-Madison

http://www.watergifts.com/

WaterGifts.com is various water fountains. Has a collection, use&care.

hardwater precipitate at yellowstone gyster

FORMS OF WATER to Top

Historically, scientists have investigated water due to its universality and importance in the ultimate quality of foods. Some early work used prescribed methodology to determine free water and bound water. Accurate definition of these terms was dependent on how free water was determined. The amount of water removed depended on which conditions were used to press out the free water. The water that was left was considered bound. Many problems developed from this. Slowly,modern methodologies developed for different foods.

For example, in meat research a Carver Hydraulic Press is used to press out meat juices. Results are correlated with the juiciness of meat consistenly throughout the industry. However, the correlation is only directly applicable utilizing this method. It does not always fully explain a panelist's perception of juiciness.

Additionally, a number of scientists found that the amount of perceivable moisture does not always correlate to free and bound water. Food constituents vary in their abilities to "bind" water. With the same total moisture and the same "free" water, foods have different shelf lives, yeast growth, browning, evaporation rates, and so forth. There has been a need to determine what was causes these differences and how can one measure them to obtain a nondimensional figure (one not related to instrument or methodology).

Water activity assists in explaining the ability of water to take part in biological and chemical reactions. Food scientists have seen what was happening in horticulture and botany with the measurement of water activity.The methodology being used in botany and horticulture to measure water activity appeared to somewhat explain and permit prediction of food behavior and reactions. However, further work regarding water activity does not appear to fully explain the ability of water to take part in biological, chemical, and associated reactions. This new area is "water dynamics".

There are a number of stories regarding the investigations and understanding of water activity. One such story reports that the researcher who developed water activity had a flash of insight when looking at a pine tree in the dead of winter. He wondered why the needles, which still had moisture in them, did not freeze and burst. From that, the roles of solutes and hydrophilic substances were investigated and determined.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION to Top

REFERENCES to Top

http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/foods/g1536.htm: Drinking Water: Storing an Emergency Supply has the topics: why have an emergency water supply; how much water should I store; what water should I use; what containers should I use; how should I prepare the containers?; how should I treat the water for storage; where should I store the water and for how long; howshould I prepare the consumers; how should I treat water for storage; where should I store the water and for how long; steps to take whenusing you emergency water supply.
http://www.hf-fak.uib.no/smi/paj/Myllyla.html: Myllyla, S. Cairo - A Mega-City and Its Water Resources is an article covering this topic.

OSU Disclaimer.