Moisture absorbers for food packaging applications

Even though moisture in food products is useful for the quality of foods, excess moisture in a package is unfavorable to the quality of the food product and the integrity of the package, particularly in the case of high water activity food such as fresh produce and raw meat. In those cases, including moisture absorbers in food packages is helpful. The common process involved in moisture absorption in food packages is physical adsorption. Here, the moisture absorption capacity is reviewed with respect to packages containing high water activity food. The applications of moisture absorbers in food packaging are discussed regarding the benefits achieved and their effectiveness. An overview of various types of moisture absorbers, their forms, and packaging material applications is provided. Particularly, the benefits of moisture absorbers for specific food products are reviewed.