Use of Water Properties in Food Technology: A Global View

Abstract

Water is a major component of drinking water, beverages, and most foodstuffs. In this study, an effort has been made to employ selected properties of water for: (1) evaluation of interactions of water with other food components; (2) discussion on the effects of water properties on food and beverage products; (3) applications of water properties in food technology; and (4) comparison of water properties with corresponding properties of similar substances. This study provides the following major conclusions: (i) unusual properties of water are mostly due to its high permanent dipole moment, partial ionic character of O–H covalent bonds, and extensive hydrogen bonds; (ii) different properties of many foodstuffs are strongly related to various properties of water; (iii) the properties of food products change depending on water availability and temperature; (iv) preparation of drinking water is a prerequisite for production of any safe drinks and foodstuffs; (v) water contributes important roles in quality, flavor, and shelf-life of foods; and (vi) water is used in food industries as a fluid for heat transfer; as a medium for temperature moderation in food processing; as a solvent for sugars, salts, water-soluble vitamins, and acids; as a dispersing agent for hydrophilic food components; as a dispersed phase for emulsified products; or as a reactant for several reactions in food processing.