美国康塔仪器公司:奶粉的水吸附研究
Milk powder is a valuable commodity for industrialized andthird world countries. It is widely used in industrializedcountries as the basis for powdered infant foods and bythe baking and confection industries as a raw ingredient.In developing countries, especially those hit by famines,milk powder is an important source of protein andcalories. In both cases transportation charges for anequivalent nutritional value are significantly lower for milkpowder than for bulk whole milk, and milk powder hasgreater shelf life not requiring refrigeration.Free moisture promotes mold growth in foods the higherthe relative humidity the greater the potential for molding,particularly over 65%RH. However, like most desiccatedfood stuffs, milk powder exhibits a tendency to absorbmoisture from the atmosphere. In a closed container,therefore, it has self-desiccating qualities to some degree.Sugar and table salt are two examples of foods withstrong desiccating qualities and are therefore used aspreservatives for other foods which are less desiccating.So, the moisture sorption quality of a foodstuff is essentialinformation when it comes to considering packaging andstorage conditions. Moisture sorption can also affecttexture, color and flowability of powders. The moisturesorption behavior of foods is quickly and convenientlymeasured by dynamic gravimetric water vapor sorption,often referred to simply as DVS.