Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 27, 2026

Detection of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens from Individual Filth Flies
Published on: February 13, 2015
Influence of Water Activity on Foodborne Bacteria - A Review 1
1The Pillsbury Company, 311 Second St. S.E., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414.
Abstract:
The influence of water activity on some characteristics of bacterial growth is presented. Bacteria are able to overcome the plasmolytic effect of reduced water activity by intracellularly accumulating compatible solutes such as glutamic acid or proline. In food systems, water activity is one of several preservative factors which interact to form a preservative system. Other preservative factors considered in this review are temperature, pH, O/R potential and chemical preservatives. Control of water activity in foods is receiving more attention as new food products and new technologies are developed.
Related Concept Videos
Review and Preview
Percentiles are a type of fractile that partition data into...
Review and Preview
Water and Mineral Acquisition
States of Water
Water freezes when the intermolecular forces are greater than the kinetic energy. Unlike most other substances, water is less dense in its solid state than in its liquid state. This is because each water molecule can form...
Bioavailability: Influencing Factors
The Influence of Affect on Cognition

