Water determination – Scientific and economic dimensions

Water content is for a number of reasons one of the most important properties of foodstuffs. The determination of water content is therefore a very important analysis. This is not only the case for scientific or technical reasons. The water fraction in food is sometimes regarded as a component without commercial value. The price is based on dry matter, which makes water content determination an analysis with economic consequences. Different existing methods often yield different results. This entrains the problem that vendor and buyer, for economic reasons, prefer different methods to favour their role in trade. The situation would be easier if the method to be applied would be the same and would be agreed upon by both parties. International standards and reference methods are established by bodies that consist not only of neutral scientists but also of representatives of industry. These will usually see the interest of their respective company and will rather try to introduce methods which “improve” their profit rather than accepting methods scientifically correct but with lower profit. Milk powder trade is given as an example to illustrate such a situation.