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NCIFT Luncheon

February 4 | 11:45 am - 1:00 pm | SAFE Credit Union Convention Center | Meeting Room 2

Join us for lunch with Zachary Cartwrught to discuss a practical, science-based guide for processors of dried and low-moisture foods.

Moisture Management Made Simple: Controlling Water for Shelf-Stable Food Quality and Safety

Water is often treated as something to remove from shelf-stable foods, but its role doesn’t end at drying. Across products like dairy powders, nuts, dried fruits and vegetables, cereals, and snack foods, the water's energy and availability continues to influence safety, texture, stability, and shelf life long after processing.

This presentation provides a clear, science-based framework for understanding water behavior in low-moisture foods, with an emphasis on water activity as a practical tool for decision-making. Using examples relevant to California’s food processing industry, this session connects fundamental principles to real-world challenges such as clumping, loss of ideal texture, oxidation, and microbial risk. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for setting moisture targets, improving process control, and communicating water activity specifications across R&D, quality, and production, without unnecessary complexity.

Learning takeaways include:

- Why moisture content alone often fails to predict shelf life and stability
- How water activity influences safety and physical quality in low-moisture foods
- Practical approaches to moisture control across processing, packaging, and storage
- Common moisture-related failure modes, and how to prevent them

As storage proteins, plant-based proteins have large and compact structures that limit their applications in food products. High-pressure processing techniques for the modification structure of plant-based protein thus to improve functionality will be discussed.

Zachary Cartwright, PhD is a principal food scientist and isotherm application specialist at AQUALAB by Addium, where he works with food manufacturers to better understand and control water in shelf-stable products. His work focuses on translating moisture science into practical tools that help teams improve product stability, streamline development, and maintain quality during scale-up and production.

Zachary holds a PhD in Food Science from Washington State University, where he also serves as an adjunct faculty member, and a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from New Mexico State University. He has extensive experience working across low-moisture food categories including powders, nuts, dried fruits and vegetables, cereals, and snack foods. Known for his ability to make complex concepts accessible, Zachary regularly speaks with cross-functional teams spanning R&D, quality, and operations.

Outside of food science, he teaches hot yoga and DJs weddings and events under the name CΔTΔLYST.