AQUALAB Research Report | April 2026

In the literature

Confectionery and bakery formulation

In a study on chocolate spreads enriched with yellow and blue poppy seeds, researchers used an AQUALAB 4TE to measure water activity and found the spreads remained in a very low aw range of 0.304-0.326, supporting the work's broader evaluation of texture, rheology, oil separation, and sensory performance. 

Another bakery-focused study used an AQUALAB water activity meter to compare steamed and baked gluten-free vegan muffins; steamed muffins retained more moisture and higher water activity, while baked samples were firmer and drier.

Upcycled and sustainable foods 

Researchers developing tomato leathers from supermarket-discarded tomatoes used an AQUALAB 4TE to characterize water activity alongside pH, composition, color, mechanical properties, and bioactive compounds. The finished leathers showed low water activity, around 0.4, and no fungal growth under low-humidity storage over 120 days.

Ingredient stability and encapsulation

 In work on jenipapo peel, pulp, and seed flours, an AQUALAB 4TE was used to generate water adsorption isotherms at 20, 30, and 40 C, helping model hygroscopic behavior and phenolic stability. 

In a Food Biophysics paper on guabiju peel extract, researchers used AQUALAB measurements to show that encapsulation with maltodextrin and gum arabic reduced moisture, water activity, and hygroscopicity, supporting improved storage stability.

Beyond food

A Nature Energy paper used an AQUALAB Vapor Sorption Analyser with the Dynamic Dew Point Isotherm method to study biopolymer-coated catalysts for electrochemical CO2 conversion. Lower local water activity helped explain improved selectivity for multicarbon products at industrially relevant current densities.

In the conversation

Outside the peer-reviewed literature, AQUALAB also appeared in market and practitioner discussions:

• A Japanese market-research release listed AQUALAB among major global portable water activity meter manufacturers and pointed to growing demand across food safety, pharma, and scientific research. 
• In r/foodscience, practitioners discussing starter water activity meters repeatedly pointed users toward the 4TE and described AQUALAB instruments as reliable lab tools. 
• A technical review of toffee manufacturing also cited AQUALAB's confectionery water activity guidance in a discussion of packaging, vapor transmission, and shelf-life control.

AQUALAB Research Report is a monthly roundup of notable citations, mentions, and technical references involving AQUALAB instruments and water activity science. 

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