Water Activity l Relationship between water and perishability l Various foods with the same water content differ significantly in perishability – Water content alone is not reliable l Importance of water associations with non-aqueous constituents to support deteriorative activities l Rates of deteriorative changes and microbial growth at normal food storage conditions often depend on water content and aw.Water Activity l Relationship between water and perishability l Various foods with the same water content differ significantly in perishability – Water content alone is not reliable l Importance of water associations with non-aqueous constituents to support deteriorative activities l Rates of deteriorative changes and microbial growth at normal food storage conditions often depend on water content and aw