Validating Thermal Processes for Low Water Activity Foods On-Demand Webinar
Low water activity foods (LWAFs) — products with a water activity (aw) below 0.85 — have historically been considered low-risk for microbiological hazards because their limited “free” (unbound) water in the formulation prevents bacterial growth. However, foodborne illness outbreaks — most notably the 2008–2009 salmonellosis outbreak linked to peanut butter — revealed that pathogens can survive for extended periods in LWAFs, even in the absence of growth.
With the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act, food processors are now required to validate control measures to reduce microbial risks in LWAFs. Thermal processes like roasting, drying, extruding, and baking that are typically used for functionality or preservation are now often relied upon as microbial “kill steps.” If these processing steps are used as microbial kill steps, processors must scientifically validate that these methods effectively reduce pathogens.
In this webinar, we will detail the principles, design, and execution of validation strategies for mitigating microbiological hazards in LWAF.
Original Airdate: June 18, 2025
Length: 53 minutes
Presenters:
Shirin Abd, M.S. | Technical Director | Advanced Food Microbiology | Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories
Martha Kimber, M.S. | Senior Technical Manager | Advanced Food Microbiology | Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories
