determination of moisture content in a food stuff.

FST 393.1.0
FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
PRACTICALS – V
3rd year 1st semester
(Proximate composition of food)
PRACTICAL NO: O1
DETERMINATION OF MOISTURE CONTENT
L.H.A G WATHSALA
AS2011743
2014

FST 393.1.0 FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PRACTICALS – V
2014
AS2011743
Practical number: 01
Practical name: Determination Of Moisture Content.
Date: 12-03-2014
1.1 Introduction:
Determination of moisture is important economically to the processor and the consumer. Moisture content of
a food product will affect its stability and quality. Moisture is inversely proportional to the amount of dry
matter in the food.
The importance of determination of moisture content in food stuff
Moisture content is one of the most commonly measured properties of food materials. It is important to
food scientists for a number of different reasons:
 Legal and Labeling Requirements. There are legal limits to the maximum or minimum amount of
water that must be present in certain types of food.
 Economic. The cost of many foods depends on the amount of water they contain - water is an
inexpensive ingredient, and manufacturers often try to incorporate as much as possible in a food,
without exceeding some maximum legal requirement.
 Microbial Stability. The propensity of microorganisms to grow in foods depends on their water
content. For this reason many foods are dried below some critical moisture content.
 Food Quality. The texture, taste, appearance and stability of foods depends on the amount of water
they contain.
 Food Processing Operations. A knowledge of the moisture content is often necessary to predict the
behavior of foods during processing, e.g. mixing, drying, flow through a pipe or packaging.
It is therefore important for food scientists to be able to reliably measure moisture contents. A number of
analytical techniques have been developed for this purpose, which vary in their accuracy, cost, speed,
sensitivity, specificity, ease of operation, etc. The choice of an analytical procedure for a particular
application depends on the nature of the food being analyzed and the reason the information is needed.
The total water content of food involves the concepts of "free" and "bound" water, equilibrium moisture
content, moisture adsorption, moisture desorption etc. The most important term is "bound" water on which
the ultimate accuracy of a method for moisture content determination is related. Bound water can be
physically adsorbed or chemically bound with protein, fats or polysaccharides.
The types of water in a food stuff
 Bulk water: - Bulk water is free from any other constituent so that each water molecules is
surrounded only by other water molecules. It therefore, has physico-chemical properties that
are the same as those of pure-water, e.g, melting point,boiling point, density, compressibility,
heat of vaporization electron magnetic absorption spectra.
 Capillary or trapped water: - Capillary water is held in narrow channels capillary forces. Trapped
water is held within spaces within a food that are surrounded by a physical barrier that prevent
the water molecules from easily escaping e.g, an emulsion droplet or a biological cell. The

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majority of this type of water is involved in normal water, water bonding and so it has Physico-
chemical properties similar to that of bulk water.
 Physically bonded water: - A significant fraction of the water molecule in many foods is not
completely surrounded by other water molecules, but is in molecular contact with other food
constituent e.g. protein, carbohydrate or minerals. The bonds between water molecules and
these constituents are often significantly different from normal water, water bond and so this
type of water has different physico-chemical properties than bulk water e.g. melting point,
boiling point, density, compressibility, heat of vaporization, electro-magnetic absorption spectra.
 .Chemically bonded water: - some of the water molecule present in a food may be chemically
bonded to other molecules as water of crystallization is as hydrate e.gNaS04.10H20. These
bonds are mush stronger than the normal water, water bond and therefore, chemically bonded
water has very different physico-chemical properties to bulkwater. E.g lower melting point,
higher boiling point.
The method used for the determination will depend on the food that is being analyzed .The methods applied
can be classified into two groups: direct or indirect methods. The existing official (reference) methods for food
analysis are all direct methods and are the following: oven-drying, vacuum oven-drying, azeotropic
distillation and Karl Fischer titration
In principle, the moisture content of a food can therefore be determined accurately by measuring the
number or mass of water molecules present in a known mass of sample. It is not possible to directly measure
the number of water molecules present in a sample because of the huge number of molecules involved. A
number of analytical techniques commonly used to determine the moisture content of foods are based on
determinations of the mass of water present in a known mass of sample.
But there are a number of practical problems associated with these techniques that make highly accurate
determinations of moisture content difficult or that limit their use for certain applications. For these reasons,
a number of other analytical methods have been developed to measure the moisture content of foods that
do not rely on direct measurement of the mass of water in a food. Instead, these techniques are based on
the fact that the water in a food can be distinguished from the other components in some measurable way.
Methods of Determining Moisture Content in Foods
Oven Drying Methods: With oven drying, the sample is heated under specified conditions, and the loss of
weight is used to calculate the moisture content of the sample.
 Forced Oven Draft—Sample is rapidly weighed into a moisture pan and placed in the oven for an
arbitrarily selected time if no standard method exists. Drying time periods for this method are 0.75-
24 hours, depending on the food sample.
 Vacuum Oven—Drying under reduced pressure (25-100 mm Hg) allows a more complete removal of
water and volatiles with-out decomposition within 3-6 hr drying time.
 Microwave Oven—A precise and rapid technique that allows some segments of the food industry to
make in-process adjustments of moisture content before final packaging. In vacuum microwaves, a
drying time of 10 minutes can yield results equivalent to those of five hours in a standard vacuum
oven.
Advantages of the oven-drying and vacuum oven-drying methods are their easy handling and possibility for
simultaneous determinations. Their limitations are based on the dependence on relative humidity conditions

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during weighing and desiccating and on the possible loss of other volatiles being eventually present in food
samples.
In addition, the oven-drying method applying temperatures of about 100 °C can lead to decomposition of the food
(e.g. Maillard reaction) and the release of water
Infrared Drying
Employs penetration of heat into the sample being dried, as compared to heat conductivity and convection
as with conventional ovens. Required drying time can be as little as 10-25 minutes.
Distillation Methods
Distillation techniques involve co distilling the moisture in a food sample with a high boiling point solvent
that is immiscible in water, collecting the mixture that distills off, and then measuring the volume of water.
Includes direct and reflux distillation.e.g dean & stark distillation method( zoetrope distillation method)
The azeotropic distillation method is only little applied for food analysis. The advantages are relatively short
analysis times and the relatively easy handling. However, the accuracy of the method is limited due to
reading problems, not sufficient glassware cleaning and the possibility that other volatiles can distil over.
Chemical Methods—Karl Fischer Titration
This technique is particularly suited to food products that show erratic results when heated or submitted to
a vacuum. It is the method of choice for low-moisture foods such as dried fruits and vegetables, candies,
chocolate, roasted coffee, oils and fats, and low-moisture foods high in sugar or protein.
Physical Methods
A number of analytical methods have been developed to determine the moisture content of foods that are
based on the fact that water has appreciably different bulk physical characteristics than the food matrix, e.g.
density, electrical conductivity or refractive index. These methods are usually only suitable for analysis of
foods in which the composition of the food matrix does not change significantly, but the ratio of water-to-
food matrix changes. For example, the water content of oil-in-water emulsions can be determined by
measuring their density or electrical conductivity because the density and electrical conductivity of water are
significantly higher than those of oil.
If the composition of the food matrix changes as well as the water content, then it may not be possible to
accurately determine the moisture content of the food because more than one food composition may give
the same value for the physical property being measured. In these cases, it may be possible to use a
combination of two or more physical methods to determine the composition of the food, e.g., density
measurements in combination with electrical conductivity measurements.
 Electric (dielectric or conductivity)—Moisture content is determined by measuring the change in
capacitance or resistance to an electric current passed through a sample.
 Hydrometry—Used to determine moisture/ solid content of beverages and sugar solutions.
Measuring the specific gravity or density of the sample via one of the following instruments:
 Pycnometer: used to compare the weights of equal volumes of a liquid and water. Yields density of
the liquid compared to water.

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 Hydrometer: a standard weight on the end of a spindle which displaces a weight of liquid equal to its
own weight. In a low-density liquid, weight will sink to a greater depth.
 Westphal Balance: functions on the principle that the plummet on the balance will be buoyed by the
weight of liquid equal to the volume displaced.
 Refractometry—Measures moisture content of oils and syrups as a function of the degree of
refraction of a light beam as it passes through the sample.
 Infrared Analysis—Measures the energy that is reflected or transmitted by the sample when
exposed to infrared light.
 Freezing Point—Measures the solutes present by determining the freezing point of the sample. Used
principally to measure for added water content
1.2 oven drying method for the thermally stable products.
Theory
Moisture % = weight loss *100
Weight of the sample
Total solid % =100- moisture
In oven drying methods, the sample is heated underspecified conditions, and the loss of weight is used to
calculate the moisture content of the sample. The amount of moisture determined is highly dependent on
the,
a. Type of oven used
b. Conditions within the oven
c. Time and temperature of drying
Forced Draft Oven: The sample is rapidlyweighed into a predried
moisture pan covered andplaced in the oven for an arbitrarily
selected time if nostandardized method exists. Drying time is about
0.75–24 h. Some liquid samplesare dried initially on a steam bath at
100°C to minimize spattering. In these cases, drying times are
shortened to 0.75–3 h. Samples high in carbohydrates should not be
dried ina forced draft oven but rather in a vacuum oven at a
temperature no higher than 70◦C.The user of this method must be
aware of sample transformation such as
 Browning which suggests moisture loss of the wrong form
 Lipid oxidation and a resulting sample weight gain can occur at high
temperatures in a forced draft oven
Vacuum Oven: By drying under reduced pressure (25–100mm Hg),one is
able to obtain amore complete removal of waterand volatiles without
decomposition within a 3–6-hdrying time.The following are important points
in the use of a vacuum drying oven:

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1. Temperature used depends on the product,such as 70◦C for fruits and other high-sugar products.
Even with reduced temperature,there can be some decomposition.
2. If the product to be assayed has a high concentration of volatiles, you should consider the use of a
correction factor to compensate for the loss.
3. Analysts should remember that in a vacuum, heat is not conducted well. Thus pans must be placed
directly on the metal shelves to conduct heat.
4. Evaporation is an endothermic process; thus, a pronounced cooling is observed. Because of the
cooling effect of evaporation, when several samples are placed in an oven of this type, you will note
that the temperature will drop. Do not attempt to compensate for the cooling effect by increasing
the temperature, otherwise samples during the last stages of drying will be overheated.
5. The drying time is a function of the total moisture present, nature of the food, surface area per unit
weight of sample, whether sand is used as a dispersant and the relative concentration of sugars and
other substances capable of retaining moisture or decomposing.
Forced draft ovens have the least temperature differential across the interior of all ovens, usually notgreater
than 1◦C. Air is circulated by a fan that forces air movement throughout the oven cavity. Forced draftovens
with air distribution manifolds appear to have added benefit where air movement is horizontal
acrossshelving. Thus, no matter whether the oven shelves are filled completely with moisture pans or only
half filled, the result would be the same for a particular sample.
Two features of some vacuum ovens contribute to a wider temperature spread across the oven. Onefeature
is a glass panel in the door. Although froman educational point of view, it may be fascinating toobserve some
samples in the drying mode; the glass isa heat sink. The second feature is the way by which airis bled into the
oven. If the air inlet and discharge areon opposite sides, conduct of air is virtually straightacross the oven.
Microwave Oven: This is rapid technique that allowed some segments of the food industry to make in-
process adjustment of the moisture content in food products before final packaging. Power settings are
dependent upon the type of sample and the recommendations of the manufacturer of the microwave
moisture analyzer. Next, the internal balance is trade with two sample pads on the balance. As rapidly as
possible, a sample is placed between the two pads ,and then pads are centered on the pedestal, and
weighed against the tare weight. Time for the drying operation is set by the operator and “start” is
activated.There are some considerations when using a
microwave analyzer for moisture determination: (1) The
sample must be of a uniform, appropriate size to provide
for complete drying under the conditions specified
(2) The sample must be centrally located and evenly
distributed, so some portions are not burned and other
areas are under processed
(3) The amount of time used to place an appropriate
sample weight between the pads must be minimized to
prevent moisture loss or gain before weight determination.

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Any oven method used to evaporate moisture has as its foundation the fact that the boiling point of water is
100◦C. Free water is the easiest of the three forms of water to remove. Moisture removal is sometimes best
achieved in a two-stage process. Liquid products (e.g., juices, milk) are commonly pre dried over a steam
bath before drying in an oven. Products such as bread and field-dried grain are often air dried, then ground
and oven dried, with the moisture content calculated from moisture loss at both air and oven drying steps.
Particle size, particle size distribution, sample sizes, and surface area during drying influence the rate and
efficiency of moisture removal.
Moisture loss from a sample during analysis is a function of time and temperature.
Decomposition happens when time is extended too much or temperature is too high. Thus, most methods
for food moisture analysis involve a compromise between time and a particular temperature at which
limited decomposition might be a factor .For example ,carbohydrates decompose at 100◦C according to the
following reaction:
The moisture generated in carbohydrate de composition is not the moisture that we want to measure.
Certain other chemical reactions (e.g., sucrose hydrolysis)can result in utilization of moisture, which would
reduce the moisture for measurement. A less serious problem is the loss of volatile constituents, such as
acetic, propionic, and butyric acids; and alcohols, esters, and aldehydes among flavor compounds.
While weight changes in oven drying methods are assumed to be due to moisture loss, weight gains also can
occur due to oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids and certain other compounds. Consider the temperature
variation in three types of ovens: convection (atmospheric), forced draft, and vacuum.
The greatest temperature variation exists in a convection oven. This is because hot air slowly circulates
without the aid of a fan. Air movement is obstructed further by pans placed in the oven. When the oven
door is closed, the rate of temperature recovery is generally slow. This is dependent also upon the load
placed in the oven and upon the ambient temperature.
Infrared Drying
Infrared drying involves penetration of heat into
thesample being dried, as compared with heat
conductivityand convection with conventional ovens.
Suchheat penetration to evaporate moisture from the
samplecan significantly shorten the required drying
timeto 10–25 min. The infrared lamp used to supply
heatto the sample results in a filament temperature
of2000–2500 K.

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Rapid Moisture Analyzer
Many rapid moisture/solids analyzers are availableto the food industry.
In addition to those based oninfrared and microwave drying as
described previously,compact instruments that depend on high heat
are available, such as analyzers that detect moisturelevels from 50ppm
to 100% using sample weightsof 150mg to 40 g.
1.2.1 materials
 moisture Oven
 Moisture dishes
 Motar and Pestle
 Oven maintained at 105°C
 Weight balance
 Carrot
1.2.2 Procedure
 Firstly three moisture dishes were washed with water and dried thoroughly. Weight of each dishes
were taken by using weight balance.
 Then carrot sample was peeled and cut in to small pieces and put in to moisture dishes until the
weight to nearest about 5g of carrot sample.
 These three samples were covered with lid and placed in a moisture oven for 3 hours until it become
to a constant weight.
 After that dishes were transferred to a desiccator and measured the weight of each samples as soon
as dishes were cool.
 Weight losses were calculated in each samples and get the average moisture content of carrot
sample.
1.2.3 Observations
Analyzing the moisture content of Carrot sample
Moisture % of carrot sample from moisture balance =87.06%
Results from oven drying method
Dish No. Weight of empty
dish
Weight of initial
sample
Weight of final
sample
Weight loss
1 45.48g 5.03g 0.494g 4.536g
2 12.74g 5.04g 0.548g 4.492g
3 22.05g 5.09g 0.534g 4.556g

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1.2.4. Calculations:
Moisture percentage of carrot sample = Weight loss ×100
Moisture percentage of sample 1 = 4.536g×100
5.03g
= 90.18 %
Moisture percentage of sample 2 =4.492g×100
5.04g
= 89.13 %
Moisture percentage of sample 3 = 4.556g× 100
5.09g
= 89.51%
Average moisture content of carrot = 90.18 + 89.13 + 89.51%
3
= 89.61%
1.3 determination of the moisture content of the products with volatile compounds.
Reflux method (dean & stark distilation method )
Theory
Reflux is a distillation technique involving the condensation of vapors and the return of this condensate to
the system from which it originated. It is used in industrial and laboratory distillations.
Principles
Distillation methods are based on direct measurement of the amount of water removed from a food sample
by evaporation. In contrast, evaporation methods are based on indirect measurement of the amount of
water removed from a food sample by evaporation:. Basically, distillation methods involve heating a
weighed food sample in the presence of an organic solvent that is immiscible with water. The water in the
sample evaporates and is collected in a graduated glass tube where its vloume is determined
Dean and Stark Method: Distillation methods are best illustrated by examining a specific example: the
Dean and Stark method. A known weight of food is placed in a flask with an organic solvent such as xylene or
toluene. The organic solvent must be
 insoluble with water;
 have a higher boiling point than water;
 be less dense than water;

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 and be safe to use.
The flask containing the sample and the organic solvent is attached to a condenser by a side arm and the
mixture is heated. The water in the sample evaporates and moves up into the condenser where it is cooled
and converted back into liquid water, which then trickles into the graduated tube. When no more water is
collected in the graduated tube, distillation is stopped and the volume of water is read from the tube.
Practical Considerations
There are a number of practical factors that can lead to erroneous results:
(i) emulsions can sometimes form between the water and the solvent which are difficult to
separate
(ii) water droplets can adhere to the inside of the glassware,
(iii) decomposition of thermally labile samples can occur at the elevated temperatures used.
Advantages and Disadvantages
 Advantages:
I. Suitable for application to foods with low moisture contents;
II. Suitable for application to foods containing volatile oils, such as herbs or spices, since the
oils remain dissolved in the organic solvent, and therefore do not interfere with the
measurement of the water;
Dean-Stark apparatus set up;
1: Stirrer bar/anti-bumping granules
2: Still pot
3: Fractionating column
4: Thermometer/Boiling point
temperature
5: Condenser
6: Cooling water in
7: Cooling water out
8: Burette
9: Tap
10: Collection vessel

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III. Equipment is relatively cheap, easy to setup and operate; Distillation methods have been
officially sanctioned for a number of food applications.
 Disadvantages: Destructive;
I. Relatively time-consuming;
II. involves the use of flammable solvents;
III. Not applicable to some types of foods.
1.3.1. Materials
 Dean and Stark distillation unit
 Drying oven
 Measuring cylinder 100ml
 Beaker 250ml
 Pipette 2ml
 Long glass rod
 Toluene
1.3.2. Procedure
1. All the glassware were thoroughly cleaned and dried by heating an oven
2. A 50mls of toluene and pumice stones were transferred into the boiling flask
3. The calibrated arm was fixed on the flask and boiled until the graduated tubes get a
constant volume of water
4. A volume of 2mls of water was added to the flask and boiled until a constant volume is
obtained
5. An accurately weighed sample (about 2g) was added and was boiled until the graduated
tube indicates a constant volume for the extracted water layer. This is equal to the same
value of water in grams
1.3.3. Observations:-
Step Volume of collected Water
After adding 50ml Toluene 1.8ml
After adding 2ml Water- For calibrating 3.7ml
After adding clove powder 3.9ml

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Sample Weight of sample Volume of collected water Moisture % from moisture
balance
Cinnamon 2g 7.8%
Clove 2g 0.2cm3
22.17%
1.3.4. Calculation
Error of the apparatus = 2.0-(3.7-1.8) cm3
= 0.1 cm3
Error percentage = (0.1÷2) ×100 = 5%
Moisture percentage = Volume of water collected in the graduated tube + error ×100
= 0.2 + (0.2×5%) *100
2
= 10.5%
Discussion
The terms "moisture content" and "water content" have been used interchangeably to designate the
quantity of water contained in food. The total water content of food involves the concepts of "free" and
"bound" water, equilibrium moisture content, moisture adsorption, moisture desorption, etc.
The most important term is bound water. It is the bound water and not frees water on which the ultimate
accuracy of a method for moisture content measurement is related. Bound water was defined by many
researchers as the water which remains in an unchanged from when the food is subjected to a particular
treatment, e.g., water which does not freeze at low temperatures or which is not available as solvent water.
However, all water, other than surface water should be regarded as bound to a greater or lesser extent
Therefore, a corresponding energy input is necessary to remove such bound water from a food when
moisture is being determined.
There are different methods are available for moisture analyze in food. Oven dry method & reflux
method (dean & stark method) were used for the proximate analysis of moisture in given food
stuffs.

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Generally thermally stable foods are more suitable for oven drying methods since more than 10%
sugary food or fatty foods can be decompose by the heat generated by the oven & it can give
higher reading for the moisture content.( false positive answer).
According to the experiment observation given by the dry oven method carrot contains 89.61% of
moisture & the reading given by the moisture balance was 87.06%. dry oven method answer was
higher than moisture balance answer since oven drying method can be caused the decomposition
of other compounds such as sugar etc: other than evaporation of moisture. Furthermore, heating
causes calculation of all substances that evaporate or form a volatile azeotropes below 100 They
includes many alcohols, flavoring agents, or acetic acid.
The important practical considerations in this experiment are;
 The dried sample should be cooled in a dedicator before get the final weight. Thus it will not
give a chance to absorb atmospheric moist during cooling. Since dried foods have high
possibility to absorb water from atmosphere. Cooling in to room temp is important since
the differences in temperature will create convection currents around the balance pan,
which will severely disrupt method accuracy
 To get a more accurate result this experiment should be carried out for 3 sample & the
average of moisture must be calculated ( the method of doing it has mentioned under
calculation)
The oven drying method was a time consuming method( at least it will take 4 hours to give constant
weight) to detect moist & when compare to moisture balance it will give the final reading within
few minutes ( 15- 20 min). Hence this newest method is more popular in industrial usage & it is
considered as more accurate method when compare to oven dry methods. Another negative point
of this method was case harding & charring of the food due to high heat. Acid sand wash method
can be used to prevent case hardening in selected food items like milk & ice cream. By this method
can increase the evapotrion efficiency due to more space area & it dispersed the fat globules well.
Dean and Stark Distillation method – (reflux distillation method )
Reflux is a distillation technique involving the condensation of vapors and the return of this condensate to
the system from which it originated. It is used in industrial and laboratory distillations.
Distillation methods are practically usefull for the foods of low moisture content and product containing
volatile oils such as herbs & spices since the oils remain dissolved in the organic solvent.
Distillation methods are based on direct measurement of the amount of water removed from a food sample
by evaporation. In contrast, evaporation methods are based on indirect measurement of the amount of
water removed from a food sample by evaporation. Basically, distillation methods involve heating a weighed
food sample in the presence of an organic solvent that is immiscible with water. The water in the sample
evaporates and is collected in a graduated glass tube where its vloume is determined

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Distillation methods are best illustrated by examining a specific example: the Dean and Stark method. It also
known as entrainment method. A known weight of food is placed in a flask with an organic solvent such as
xylene or toluene. The organic solvent must be
 insoluble with water;
 have a higher boiling point than water;
 be less dense than water;
 and be safe to use.
The flask containing the sample and the organic solvent is attached to a condenser by a side arm and the
mixture is heated. The water in the sample evaporates and moves up into the condenser where it is cooled
and converted back into liquid water, which then trickles into the graduated tube. When no more water is
collected in the graduated tube, distillation is stopped and the volume of water is read from the tube
There are three potential sources of error with distillation should be eliminated if observed:
1. Formation of emulsions that will not break.Usually this can be controlled by allowing the apparatus to cool
after distillation is completed and before reading the amount of moisture in the trap.
2. Clinging of water droplets to dirty apparatus. Clean glassware is essential, but water seems to cling even
with the best cleaning effort.A burette brush, with the handle end flattened so it will pass down the
condenser, is needed to dislodge moisture droplets.
3. Decomposition of the sample with production of water. This is principally due to carbohydrate
decomposition to generate water(C6H12O6 → 6H2O + 6C). If this is a measurable problem, discontinue
method use and find an alternative procedure.
Advantages:
 Suitable for application to foods with low moisture contents
 Suitable for application to foods containing volatile oils, such as herbs or spices, since the oils remain
dissolved in the organic solvent, and therefore do not interfere with the measurement of the water
 Equipment is relatively cheap, easy to setup and operate
 Distillation methods have been officially sanctioned for a number of food applications.
 Minimize the oxidation and decomposition, while reduce chemical reaction by heat.
Disadvantages:
 Destructive
 Relatively time-consuming
 Involves the use of flammable solvents
 Not applicable to some types of foods.
According to the observations & the calculation the moisture % in cloves was 10.5%. Generally it’s moist
content should in between 8% to 10%. Therfore the experimental result can be considered as a accurate
finding. Though moisture balance reading was higher than normal value. It gave 22.17% moisture %. The
weight loss was the measurement used moisture balance method. Hence it gave higher result because of the
evaporation of volatiles along with the moisture evaporation. So it had been reduced the weight more than
the expected from that method.

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In this practical, the moisture in the cinnamon sample did not evaporate successfully. So the moisture level
could not be obtained by the distillation method. Moisture balance reading for cinnamon was 7.8%.
The important practical considerations of the distillation method were:
 The apparatus must be in dry , very clean & it should not traped the water droplets inside the wall.
Therefore to remove trapped water it should boiled with toluene. To get a significant reading
known amount of water can be added to toluene. Since the dean and stark apparatus may not
have a scale from the its bottom. But practically removing all the inside trapped water was
impossible. Therefore there was an error which we couldn’t detect.
 The calibration of the apparatus is important before the doing the experiment. By this step can find
the error of this apparatus which occur normally. According to the calculation the error was 5%. This
should be added to the amount of water obtained at last.( 3.9-3.7=0.2cm3
) This error occurred due
to improper condensation of water.
Practical Considerations
1. Sample dimensions. The rate and extent of moisture removal depends on the size and shape
of the sample, and how finely it is ground. The greater the surface area of material exposed
to the environment, the faster the rate of moisture removal.
2. Clumping and surface crust formation. Some samples tend to clump together or form a
semi-permeable surface crust during the drying procedure. This can lead to erroneous and
irreproducible results because the loss of moisture is restricted by the clumps or crust. For
this reason samples are often mixed with dried sand to prevent clumping and surface crust
formation.
3. Elevation of boiling point. Under normal laboratory conditions pure water boils at 100 o
C.
Nevertheless, if solutes are present in a sample the boiling point of water is elevated. This is
because the partial vapor pressure of water is decreased and therefore a higher
temperature has to be reached before the vapor pressure of the system equals the
atmospheric pressure. Consequently, the rate of moisture loss from the sample is slower
than expected. The boiling point of water containing solutes (Tb) is given by the
expression, Tb = T0 + 0.51m, where T0 is the boiling point of pure water and m is the molality
of solute in solution (mol/kg of solvent).
4. Water type. The ease at which water is removed from a food by evaporation depends on its
interaction with the other components present. Free water is most easily removed from
foods by evaporation, whereas more severe conditions are needed to remove chemically or
physically bound water. Nevertheless, these more extreme conditions can cause problems
due to degradation of other ingredients which interfere with the analysis (see below).
5. Decomposition of other food components. If the temperature of drying is too high, or the
drying is carried out for too long, there may be decomposition of some of the heat-sensitive
components in the food. This will cause a change in the mass of the food matrix and lead to
errors in the moisture content determination. It is therefore normally necessary to use a
compromise time and temperature, which are sufficient to remove most of the moisture,

2014
AS2011743
but not too long to cause significant thermal decomposition of the food matrix. One
example of decomposition that interferes with moisture content determinations is that of
carbohydrates.
C6H12O6 6C + 6
The water that is released by this reaction is not the water we are trying to measure and
would lead to an overestimation of the true moisture content. On the other hand, a number
of chemical reactions that occur at elevated temperatures lead to water
absorption, e.g., sucrose hydrolysis (sucrose + H2O fructose + glucose), and
therefore lead to an underestimation of the true moisture content. Foods that are
particularly susceptible to thermal decomposition should be analyzed using alternative
methods, e.g. chemical or physical.
6. Volatilization of other food components. It is often assumed that the weight loss of a food
upon heating is entirely due to evaporation of the water. In practice, foods often contain
other volatile constituents that can also be lost during heating, e.g., flavors or odors. For
most foods, these volatiles only make up a very small proportion and can therefore be
ignored. For foods that do contain significant amounts of volatile components (e.g. spices
and herbs) it is necessary to use alternative methods to determine their moisture
content, e.g., distillation, chemical or physical methods.
7. High moisture samples. Food samples that have high moisture contents are usually dried in
two stages to prevent "spattering" of the sample, and accumulation of moisture in the oven.
Spattering is the process whereby some of the water jumps out of the food sample during
drying, carrying other food constituents with it. For example, most of the moisture in milk is
removed by heating on a steam bath prior to completing the drying in an oven.
8. Temperature and power level variations. Most evaporation methods stipulate a definite
temperature or power level to dry the sample so as to standardize the procedure and obtain
reproducible results. In practice, there are often significant variations in temperatures or
power levels within an evaporation instrument, and so the efficiency of the drying
procedure depends on the precise location of the sample within the instrument. It is
therefore important to carefully design and operate analytical instruments so as to minimize
these temperature or power level variations.
9. Sample pans. It is important to use appropriate pans to contain samples, and to handle
them correctly, when carrying out a moisture content analysis. Typically aluminum pans are
used because they are relatively cheap and have a high thermal conductivity. These pans
usually have lids to prevent spattering of the sample, which would lead to weight loss and
therefore erroneous results. Pans should be handled with tongs because fingerprints can
contribute to the mass of a sample. Pans should be dried in an oven and stored in
desiccators prior to use to ensure that no residual moisture is attached to them.

2014
AS2011743
Conclusion
By the oven dry method Moisture % of carrot was 89.61% & the moisture balance reading was
87.06%
By the distillation method moisture content of cloves was 10.5% & 22.17% was the reading of the
moisture balance for cloves.
Distillation method is the most suitable method for the detection of moisture% in spices.(high
volatiles contains food).
References
1) http://web.itu.edu.tr/~karaali/afamoisture.pdf
2) http://books.google.lk/book
 Food Analysis edited byS. Suzanne Nielsen.

determination of moisture content in a food stuff.

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