Control by Reduced Water Activity and Drying

The ability of dried seeds, grains, tubers, and fruits to resist spoilage was probably recognized by humans even before their discovery of agriculture. Subsequently, this simple method (drying) was practiced to preserve the large volume of foods produced during growing seasons to make them available during nongrowing seasons. Later, reduced A_W was also extended to preserve other foods (e.g., meat, fish, and milk) not only by removing water by drying, but also by adding solutes (e.g., salt, honey, and starch) to bind water.