Abstract
Australian military ration packs contain a variety of processed foods, including some that are fortified with vitamins. In this study, freeze-dried meals, a key component of lightweight patrol ration packs, were fortified at the time of packing by direct addition of a vitamin premix containing vitamins B1, B2, B6 and E. Fortification was at three levels: 50%, 100% and 200% of the recommended vitamin content for military ration packs. Vitamin stability was determined following storage at temperatures of 1 °C, 30 °C and 40 °C for up to 24 months. HPLC methods were used to measure vitamin content; water activity and colour were also determined. Mean 24-month retention rates across all temperatures and fortification levels were 94%, 97%, 86% and 77% for vitamins B1, B2, B6 and E, respectively. Water activity increased with storage temperature, whereas colour changes due to fortification and storage temperature were at the threshold of visual detection. Fortification of freeze-dried meals would be an effective means of improving the quality of light weight military ration packs by addressing shortfalls in vitamin levels.
Highlights
Freeze-dried foods are valued for their suitability for hiking, camping, space exploration, emergency and survival applications, and in military ration packs
All types were considered suitable as carriers of added vitamins, but the tuna mornay meal was lightest in colour and more likely to show colour changes due to addition of fortificants and development of browning during storage, it was selected for this study
The low values for vitamin B2 may be due to exposure to light between weighing doses and addition to the freeze-dried meal, combined with normal analytical variation
Summary
Freeze-dried foods are valued for their suitability for hiking, camping, space exploration, emergency and survival applications, and in military ration packs. The utility of freeze-dried foods for both military and civilian consumers, stems from their light weight, long shelf life, sensory quality, portability and ease of preparation for consumption. Military ration packs contain a variety of food products consolidated into a single pack to provide soldiers with their daily dietary intake when access to fresh feeding cannot be provided. A distinguishing characteristic of the patrol ration is the use of freeze-dried meals, whereas the other ration packs contain fully-hydrated meals (retort meals) packed in flexible retort pouches. Australian ration packs are required to have a shelf life of not less than two years at 30 ◦ C, constraining the range of suitable ingredients, processing techniques, and packaging materials
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