Military Rations Research Articles

Nutritive value of a processed ration comprising popular Indian dishes

The protein quality of a ready-to-eat military ration comprising khichidi, preserved chapathi, dehydrated arhar (Cajanus cajan L) dal, vegetable pulav, chikki, milk powder and sugar has been evaluated both before and after storage for 6 months at ambient temperature (18–30°C), and with or without supplementation of a vitamin mix, by feeding to weanling rats for 28 days. The food intake, weight gain, protein efficiency ratio and food conversion efficiency of the above ration were compared with those obtained on a casein diet. The data showed an improvement in weight gain without any change in food intake when the rats were fed the ration, whether fresh or stored, supplemented with vitamin mix. The results suggest a need for vitamin supplementation of the processed ration when consumed for extended periods.

Correlation of Extrudate Infusibility with Bulk Properties using Image Analysis

ABSTRACTCorn meal extrudates were produced using process conditions designed to obtain various product structures. Extrudates were infused with a particle‐containing, high melting point lipid suspension, a process used to produce calorically dense components for military rations. Image analysis was used to estimate the degree of particle penetration into the extruded matrices and determine cell size distributions. Infusion uniformity was correlated with structural attributes, such as density, expansion, and average cell size.

The relationship of recent and retrospective food acceptance ratings

This large-scale (N = 472), 11-day field test of acceptability of three military rations had a dual purpose: (1) to collect acceptability data at intervals during the test and (2) to determine if data collected retrospectively (24 h post test) adequately indicate ration acceptability. Regression analyses were conducted to determine how well the retrospective ratings predicted the field ratings. Findings showed high R 2 values and strong linear relationships.

Validity of self-estimated and weighed dietary data for assessment of military rations

Validity of food intake values, self-estimated by subjects and weighed by researchers, was evaluated during the assessment of a new military ration. As an addition to food intake measured by the two methods, a third set of intake values was generated by combining food intakes from the self-estimated and weighted data. This combined method is proposed as another reference for assessing validity. The new ration, Meal-Ready-to-Eat (MRE), was the sole source of food for an experimental group of 27 soldiers engaged in a 34-day field exercise. A control group of 30 soldiers ate a freshly prepared (A ration) breakfast and dinner and an MRE lunch. Agreement of mean nutrient intake values from self-estimated and weighed data was high among both experimental and control groups (average coefficients of correlation for 16 nutrients, 0.948 and 0.884, respectively). Paired t-tests yielded no significant differences between self-estimated and weighed means for nutrient intake but were significantly different from the means obtained by the combined method (p less than .0001). Mean nutrient intakes determined by both the self-estimated and weighed methods approached 90% of the intakes found by the combined method.

A Time‐Temperature Model for Sensory Acceptance of a Military Ration

ABSTRACTAverage consumer‐acceptance scores on the military ration called the Meal, Ready‐to‐Eat, at four temperatures and storage times through 60 months fitted an Arrhenius‐like mathematical model which estimated the dependence of average score on storage time and temperature as well as the effect of temperature on shelf life. Results are presented for individual items and for the most important classes of items.

Survival of Four Species of Stored-product Insects Confined with Food in Vacuumized and Unvacuumized Film Pouches

Survival of live insects accidentally packaged with military rations in vacuumized and unvacuumized airtight flexible food pouches was determined for adults and larvae of Cadra cautella (Walker), Lasioderma serricorne (F.), Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), and Trogoderma variabile Ballion. Seven foods and four types of pouches were tested; each food was packaged in a specific type of pouch. Some C. cautella and T. castaneum were found alive in various unvacuumized pouches after 3 weeks of confinement. Most were dead after 6 weeks. T. variabile and L. serricorne survived in some pouches for the duration of the tests (12 weeks). L. serricorne penetrated some of the pouches and escaped. Only L. serricorne survived for 1 week in pouches vacuum-sealed with a vacuum of 48.8 mm Hg; all were dead at 3 weeks. Some pouches with a minimal vacuum (533.0 mm Hg) allowed survival of T. variabile and L. serricorne for 12 weeks. Progeny from adults or insects from tests started with larvae were usually smaller and less developed than those in the controls that had an unlimited supply of air.

Survival, Reproduction, and Development of Seven Species of Stored-product Insects on the Various Food Components of Lightweight, High-density, Prototype Military Rations

Lightweight, high-density, prototype food rations (Food Packet, Assault) were removed from their protective polymeric packets and the 17 various food items were exposed to 7 species of stored-product insects, representing 2 orders and 6 families. All foods except one sustained adults and developing larvae of one or more of the species tested. Exposure to air and humidity did not seem to alter the physical appearance of most foods, and the moisture content of most foods as measured by gain or lossof weight usually changed <10%. Several insect species continued to feed and develop on the rations after periods of nearly a year.

Acceptance of a Military Ration After 24‐Month Storage

ABSTRACTA study of a new military ration, the Meal, Ready‐to‐Eat, Individual (MRE) after 2 yr of storage at four different temperatures was conducted. The main emphasis is on the statistical analysis of data on consumer‐acceptance, in particular the estimation of shelf‐life. The principal finding is that the ration as a whole can be stored for at least 2 yr at temperatures up to 38°C without serious loss of acceptance, although a few individual items may be affected.

Effert of Heat Sterilization and Prolonged Storage: Nutritive Value of Canned Meals1

In this study, the nutritive value of six types of canned meals (mili tary rations) was investigated, before and after sterilization and after storage up to five years. Vitamin content, biologic value of the protein, and amino acid content of the products were analyzed. Special attention was paid to the low biologic value of the protein of meals containing pubes.

A SYSTEM FOR CONTINUOUS THERMAL PROCESSING OF FOOD POUCHES USING MICROWAVE ENERGY

ABSTRACT— A system for continuous microwave sterilization of foods packaged in plastic pouches has been designed, constructed and tested. Air pressure was used to prevent pouch rupture. Pouches containing food for use in military rations were sealed and introduced through an air lock on to a conveyor inside a plastic pipe within a microwave cavity. Microwave energy was supplied up to 10 kw at 2,450 MHz. Conveyor speed and power were regulated to provide the process time and temperature. Cooling was achieved in a cooling bath. Pouches were overpackaged in a foil laminate for additional protection. Several food products were processed. Total process times of 9–14 min were achieved.

Fecal Excretion of Iron and Tin by Men Fed Stored Canned Foods

Packaged military rations (C ration) were stored at 1° and 37°c. for twenty months prior to feeding to human subjects for successive twenty-four-day periods. Storage for an excessive time at the unusually elevated temperature increased the iron and tin content of the ration from 30 to 80 and 200 p.p.m. (dry solids), respectively. Fecal excretion accounted for all the tin ingested, and for about 80 per cent of the iron from a control diet and the ration stored at cold temperatures (1°c.) but only for 54 per cent of the 64 mg daily intake of iron provided by the ration stored at 37°c. A relationship of iron absorption to marginal pyridoxine intake is suggested.

The U.S.A. research program on low-dose radiation processing of food

Tnw new U. S. Atomic Energy Commission research program on low-dose radiation aims at developing techniques for providing freshlike fish and fruits far from harvest areas. Relatively low doses of radiation will be used to inhibit the growth of microbes for days or weeks during the usual conditions of distribution and storage of perishable foods. Low-dose preservation, known also as radiation pasteurization, would in particular avoid the necessity for freezing perishable foods that are to be sold within a short time. The process, thus, is potentially highly advantageous in extending the marketing life of highly perishable products for shipment to remote areas. Consideration will also be given to the very low-dose uses such as control of sprout inhibition, disinfestation of grain and control of insects for quarantine purposes. The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's program for low-dose radiation processing of food is complementary to the program of the U. S. Army Quartermaster Corps for radiation sterilization of food. In the Army program, foods are irradiated with high doses of radiation capable of completely destroying bacteria and permitting food preservation without refrigeration for months. The sterilization program is primarily designed to improve the logistics and acceptability of military rations, but ultimately may have civilian applications as well. It is expected that radiation processing of food will eventually find its place among the historic food preservation processes of drying, salting, canning, freezing and such contemporary developments as freeze drying. This latter process is in an accelerating phase of initial commercial success, despite previous doubts based on estimates of high unit cost and low quality. A particular product or process finds acceptance when there is unique application, through the competitive action of the market place. The USAEC low-dose radiation pasteurization program has the purpose of defining the relevant products and processes prior to this final market test.

Military Rations

Military Rations

Dairy and Meat Products Top Military Ration Problems

Dairy and Meat Products Top Military Ration Problems

Coated fabrics for variety of military uses : ( Textile World, Vol. 93, No. 9)

Studies were conducted to index the perceived satiety value of a variety of military ration items, to assess the relationship of the food's nutrient composition, physical, and sensory properties to satiety, and to determine the ability of the sum of the satiety indices for individual meal components to predict total meal satiety.Equicaloric 300 kcal portions of 17 common military ration items and two commercial food items were tested. Satiety measures were obtained before consumption, immediately after consumption and every 15 min thereafter for 1 h. Ratings of acceptability and sensory attributes (sweet, salty, chewy, moist, dense, fatty/oily/creamy) were also obtained. The area under the 75-min response curve (AUC) was used to quantify the overall satiety responses to each item. A satiety index (SI) was calculated by dividing the mean AUC for each food item by the mean AUC for a reference food. Significant differences were found in perceived satiety among the nineteen food items. The mean AUC was greatest for oatmeal, which was 4.78 times higher than the lowest AUC. A stepwise regression analysis was used to examine the relationship of individual food characteristics (macronutrient content, weight in grams, and volume), initial satiety level, sensory attributes, and liking to overall satiety. The obtained model revealed four variables that contributed significantly to perceived satiety: initial satiety, fat and protein content, and the perception of fatty/oily/creamy. Higher initial satiety (fullness) and higher fat content were associated with lower perceived satiety, while higher protein content and higher fatty/oily/creamy ratings were associated with greater satiety. A regression analysis to determine whether the sum of individual item satiety scores (AUCs), adjusted for serving size, could be used to predict the overall satiety of a meal resulted in a predictive equation with an R2Adj of 0.54. The intercept of the equation was close to zero and the slope (0.69) was interpreted as representing a correction factor for the diminishing growth of perceived satiety as a function of increasing kilocalories.Overall, the data show that it is possible to index the perceived satiety value of individual ration components and meals, and that by developing a better understanding of the influence of the nutrient composition, physical, and sensory properties of a food on perceived satiety, it may be possible to develop or select ration components that produce lower levels of perceived satiety and which, in turn, may lead to increased consumption under field conditions.