can have a wide range of utilities depending upon the particular formulation of ingredients for example where a cosmetic preparation is desired an emulsion comprising water and oil with or without an emulsifier can be admixed with one of the moisture binders of the present invention in the cosmetic emulsion the water binder is preferably added as the salt to the water phase however it may be added to the oil phase in the acid form and then neutralized in situ when the composition of the present invention is desired to take the form of a food product the water binder is added to an edible material for example it may be employed in preparing intermediate moisture food products such as meat fish poultry fruit and vegetable products exemplary of the meat products are those for animals known as soft moist products for example those disclosed in u s pat nos 3 482 985 and 3 615 652 to h m burgess et al when added to vegetable products the natural basic characteristic of the vegetables can aid in neutralizing the acid form of the water binding compounds to the salt form in food products the water binders aid in reducing the tendency of the products to support microbial growth in cosmetics for application to the skin they can aid in maintaining soft moist healthy appearing skin and in all cases they bind water and reduce the natural tendency of the compositions from drying when exposed to.