Water activity (aw) measurements help predict food mechanical
properties, stability and shelf life. The aw of control and fibre-enhanced
snack bar bases were 0.483 and 0.460, respectively. The
aw of all the snack bar fillings was 0.440 (Table 1). These aw values
were all well below 0.7, indicating low risk of microbial proliferation
and pathogenic spoilage and good shelf life (Beuchat, 1981).
The aw of the bases and filling were designed to be similar to minimise
moisture transfer and subsequent changes in the constituent’s
properties associated with product shelf life and texture.
The low aw filling would offer a good shelf life and preserve the
bar dryness during storage.