Azeotropic Distillation Method for Moisture Determination

Moisture. The water content of lecithin products is usually less than 1.0%. As a consequence of lecithin s essentially moisture-free state, lecithin products have very low water activity and do not adversely contribute to the microbiological profile of most food systems. Most lecithin products are preserved well in storage. Higher moisture levels usually indicate a greater potential for spoilage or chemical degradation. Moisture is determined by AOCS Official Method Ja 2b-87 (77). A less accurate moisture level can also be determined by azeotropic toluene distillation (AOCS Official Method Ja 2-46) (77). One cannot determine lecithin moisture by vacuum oven methods. These methods are known to degrade lecithin products and yield false moisture levels. 

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