Food and Victuals

[buglerbilly]

AUSA Winter 2010: Decision time near for MAPS

February 25, 2010

In addition to their work with new ethylene destruction technologies to extend the shelf life of fresh produce (see 'West 2010 Logistics Spotlight' in the next issue of MLI), developers at the US Army Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) are exploring other methods to enhance food quality for today’s warfighters. NSRDEC representatives utilised this week’s Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Winter Symposium to highlight the possibilities of a new Modified Atmosphere Packaging System (MAPS).

'Our new ethylene destruction systems basically take the ethylene gas through a UV system and turns it into carbon dioxide and water,' explains Gerald Darsch, director of US Department of Defense combat feeding directorate. 'That’s proven to be very beneficial. But we also have another system that kind of accomplishes the same thing: extending the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables.'

'Most warfighters in a forward operating base rarely, if ever, see high quality fresh fruits and vegetables,' he continues. 'They probably see some ‘hardy fruits,’ like apples, but by and large they won’t see bananas. They probably won’t see romaine lettuce or broccoli.'

One of many ongoing NSRDEC food initiatives involves the development of what Darsch describes as 'a smart label,' also known as Modified Atmosphere Packaging, developed by California-based Apio.

'They really pioneered this technology,' he adds. 'We saw the value of the technology when they were just beginning to mature it and we actually began the effort under a rapid technology transition programme for the United States Navy.'

'There’s actually a hole in the bag that you use for your fresh fruits and vegetables,' he notes. 'The hole is then covered with a label that is smart enough to modify and control the atmosphere within the package. It creates the optimum level of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the package to allow that fruit or vegetable to respire much longer, rather than suffocate, or be over-oxygenated. And it also is smart enough so that if the temperature were to fluctuate seven degrees up or down, the label with adjust itself to adjust for the increase or decrease in respiration.'

He adds, 'The “So what?” of this is that we are seeing the shelf life extension of certain fruits and vegetables not by 2 percent or 3 percent but we are talking a 100, 200, or 300 percent shelf life increase, which means that a warfighter in the most forward operating base will now have an opportunity in the very near future to actually get something in addition to hardy fruit like apples – like lettuce or bananas.'

According to Darsch, early testing took place aboard the aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan and USS Harry S. Truman.

'We just wrapped up another test in the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia – Pacific, where we were actually able to work with a shipper in San Diego and put some of these Modified Atmosphere Packaged broccoli, romaine [lettuce] and iceberg [lettuce] into a shipping container and ship it from San Diego to Guam. Then we sent a team to Guam to look at these products as they arrived in Guam and were pushed forward. They tracked those products for about 39 days and looked at case yields on the MAP product and the control product, as well as freshness ratings, which were assigned by cooks in dining facilities as well as at the point of entry in Guam.'

Darsch characterises the resulting data as showing 'that the MAPS product can last, even ‘gassed’ product that leaves the Port of San Diego to Guam, and it’s looking to be very positive and very beneficial.'

'We want to take the lessons learned, do a good after action report, and we will actually be briefing the Army G4, Lieutenant General Stevenson, tomorrow [25 February], giving him information for our senior leader to make a decision in terms of our path forward,' he observes. 'There will be a path forward. It just may involve a follow-on test with [US Army Europe] to really challenge the logistics chain as we go in the opposite direction.'

By Scott R. Gourley, Fort Lauderdale

[buglerbilly]

Here's a way of getting Nutrional Bars to your own requirements and make-up...........YouBar.com.........review from last year but still applies...................

Review: YouBar (YouBars.com)
March 20, 2009 by admin
YouBars.com is a “build of bar site” founded by and run by a mother (Ava) and son (Anthony) team in Los Angeles, CA. They originally set out to create homemade bars as an alternative to the many processed tasting bars that are on the market. A few years later, they’ve got a business that crafts custom nutrition bars – and shakes – to the masses. Being based in LA and right across from CBS Television City (we stopped in at the shop), it’s no surprise that they’ve also achieved a celebrity following, which they’ve listed on their site.





The ordering process is pretty easy, with a one page “Build-A-Bar” form that lets you check off the ingredients that you want. Compared with the competition, YouBar’s interface isn’t as fancy, but it’s more functional and intuitive. List of options require only a mouse click, while a real time nutrition panel floats along the right.

After you choose from one of three different bar sizes, there are eight categories of ingredients, bases, and boosts to choose from. Each category, depending on what it is, allows for a different number of choices. YouBar has a large selection of ingredients – and also take special requests (we’re told they’ll try and get it, assuming what you ask for is available at a store like Whole Foods) – which means the possible combinations are almost limitless. You can also specify how much of a given ingredient goes into a bar (e.g. “Less Fruit”, “Normal Fruit”, “Extra Fruit”), giving you almost complete control of the process. And of course, the site will kindly tell you if the ingredients aren’t going to work out for the best. Perhaps our only gripe is that the bar sizes, which are listed in grams, aren’t obvious – some other point of reference might help.

If you’re not up for the challenge of building your own bar, there are plenty of premade bars that are available in the “Popular Bars” section of the site. (We weren’t fans of the “Breakfast Bar,” but “Honey Cashew” is possibly one of our favorite bars of all time)


The ordering process at YouBars.com

The ordering and delivery process was efficient. Phone “support” is available and easy to use and emails are responded to quickly. We had a chance to speak with the Anthony Flynn, co-owner, who was very friendly and passionate about bars – definitely our kind of guy.

A visit to the shop in Los Angeles showed an operation that is focused on delivering a high quality, artisan made product. It’s essentially a commercial kitchen, not a factory, with workers diligently hand crafting each batch of bars to order.

As for the bars, they are definitely a notch above what you’ll find at other “custom bar” places. Each bar comes wrapped in a professionally designed label, with the bar name printed down the middle. It certainly doesn’t look like something that was batch made. The bar inside the wrapper is clean and well-executed, with straight edges (assuming it’s not a date based bar, which is sticky) and a consistent taste and look throughout. If that’s not enough, each batch of bars comes in its own YouBar cardboard box, making you feel like a lot of effort went into making your order.

Overall, we liked the YouBar process from start to finish — and the bars themselves are quite impressive as well. These guys are definitely the kings of the “build your own bar” market!

Build your bar now: http://www.youbars.com

Costs from an aquaintance.................USD$ of course...........


However, they are pretty expensive, at about $40 a box(13 bars).

[buglerbilly]

A condition to the above.................not a problem in most circumstances? Vacuum sealing them should also help stop any degradation.


Just a quick word I left out for anyone interested. The bars won't last very long, no preservatives in them, you will get about 2 months tops. I'm not sure how they are after the expiration date, I may leave one to see.

[buglerbilly]

Troops 'survive on spam for up to 50 days'

British soldiers serving in Afghanistan are being made to eat boil-in-the-bag rations or tinned Spam for up to 50 days in a row because of insufficient food supplies, the Conservatives claimed yesterday (Mon).

By Nick Collins

Published: 7:30AM BST 30 Mar 2010

British soldiers eat 'ready to eat' individual meal rations in Afghanistan Photo: GETTY Lord Astor of Hever, the Conservative defence spokesman, said a lack of supply helicopters meant forward operating bases could sometimes be left for long periods without fresh food.

Speaking at question time in the House of Lords, he challenged the Government to give assurances that "everything possible" was being done to make sure supplies were reaching bases.

"On occasions soldiers and Royal Marines are having to make do with boil-in-the-bag ration packs or tinned spam, sometimes for up to 50 days, because of helicopter resupply shortages.

"What assurances can you give the House that everything possible is being done to ensure forward operation bases are resupplied with fresh food and what research is being done to bring our food rations in line with our allies, such as the Americans, who have self-heating meals?"

Lord Tunnicliffe, for the Government, said occasions when troops had to rely on boil-in-the-bag rations were "rare" and that the "superb" one-day food packs were "the envy of our allies".

He said: "Most forces are in forward operating basis of about 400 people. They will typically have chefs working with about 80 per cent fresh or dried food and about 20 per cent from 10-man ration packs.

"The armed forces feeding project is examining the actual food and energy intake – gender, ethnic and cultural difference are also being considered. This study is due to report at the end of the year."

Lord Astor told the Daily Telegraph he had been alerted to the situation through conversations with soldiers and marines, for whom food was one of the most common "gripes".

He said: "In the forward operating bases there was some concern about it.

"This has not happened a lot but there is an issue. Occasionally there is a shortage of helicopters so they are stuck with their packs.

"I have looked into it and I think it is being addressed. The food that they get is much better than it was."

Last month it was reported that Corporal Liam Francis, an army chef whose supply helicopter was shot down by the Taliban, had come up with an inventive menu to feed troops with nothing but Spam for six weeks.

In a situation reminiscent of a famous Monty Python sketch, Cpl Francis's cupboard was filled with nothing but hundreds of tins of Spam.

The chef managed to turn the tinned pork and ham into a variety of different dishes including sweet and sour Spam, Spam fritters, Spam carbonara, Spam stroganoff and stir fried Spam.

Despite his inventive menu, Cpl Francis accepted that "morale improved" when fresh supplies finally arrived at the base.

[buglerbilly]

From The Times March 31, 2010

Army food: the battle of the bulge

The top general in Afghanistan has banned junk food for the troops. In Kabul report on a clash of culinary traditions



Tom Coghlan and Jerome Starkey in Kabul

It was visions of Ambrosia that sustained the Spartans, while GIs in the Vietnam War imagined the culinary and sensual pleasures of Saigon. For the troops fighting in the Helmand desert, fantasies tend to focus on chilled milkshakes and Double Whoppers served up on a neon-lit strip of Kandahar airbase known as “The Boardwalk”.

Or they did until yesterday, when the famously ascetic commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, ordered that the Boardwalk — an ever-expanding cluster of fast-food joints at the sprawling airbase — be closed.

The feelings of General McChrystal, an intense, workaholic “warrior monk” who runs eight miles a day, sleeps four hours a night and eats only one meal every 24 hours, were made clear.

“This is a war zone, not an amusement park,” growled his Command Sergeant-Major, Michael T. Hall, on a military blog.

Among the outlets to be sent home are such cultural icons as Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway and TGI Friday’s, the newly opened branch of which features a plastic scale model of the Star Wars character Yoda. US pilots were apparently in the habit of radioing ahead for pizza delivery when returning from bombing missions over Helmand.

Where the armed forces of America have gone during the War on Terror, the deep-fat fryers of America’s fast-food franchises have trailed doggedly in their wake. But the cultural variations inevitable in a 38-country multinational force are rarely more divisive than on matters culinary. A brief tour of the rations delivered to different Nato nations is instructive.

US forces survive on Meals Ready to Eat, shortened to the acronym MRE. They consist of sealed bags heated by flameless chemical heaters so that no flame is visible to enemy forces. The resulting “meals”, such as “country captain chicken” and “chicken breast — chunked and formed” are little loved but deliver a carefully balanced diet for the fighting man. As a nuclear option the American soldier carries the “first strike ration”, a ready-to-eat, lightweight 2,900 calories that promises to sustain soldiers through “multiple highly intense combat assaults”.

By contrast, French forces go into combat carrying elegant metal tins containing a selection of the dishes that define France’s rich culinary heritage: veau Marengo (named after the great battle won by Napoleon in 1800), navarin d’agneau, salmon terrine and duck mousse, to name a few.

The Italians get wine with their pasta. The British “rat packs” include lamb curry, all-day breakfast and lots of teabags. Often the different nationalities find some variety by swapping their rations for those of another nation. But sometimes food — and, in particular, drink — is a source of deep division.

American commanders have long taken an extremely dim view of the supply of alcohol on bases — it is strictly forbidden for US troops even in safe areas. The British base in Kabul has a loosely applied two-can rule but in Helmand booze is banned, and there have been crackdowns on attempts to send alcoholic drinks through the post to soldiers..

Among the liberal Scandinavians there is a more relaxed attitude. The Norwegians in the north of the country built a club called the MiG Down Bar, serving spirits and beer, in which the 30ft-long bar was the salvaged wing of a Soviet-era MiG-25 bomber.

The kings of debauchery are the Germans, at whose camp in northern Afghanistan 1.7 million pints of beer were consumed last year, according to a German parliamentary report.

One Western journalist returned from the Italian base in Herat, western Afghanistan, with a lurid tale of a wine-fuelled late-night conga with Italian forces round an aircraft hangar while sober American troops looked on aghast — and no doubt a little jealous.

During the First World War the head of the US Food Administration, J. Edgar Hoover, encouraged the American public to give up meat so that troops at the front could have more — a programme known as “Hooverizing”. A century on, a very different food strategy to win the war has “McChrystallised”.

[buglerbilly]

From The Times March 31, 2010

Marching on its stomach

The French enjoy coq au vin, the Americans have surf’n’turf. Who is eating (and drinking) what in a war zone?

Tom Coghlan

Even in temperatures of 50C (122F) in the so-called desert of death, as the barren region of southwest Afghanistan is known, the British Tommy will not give up the stodgy food of home.

When 16 Air Assault Brigade first arrived in Helmand in 2006 the food halls at Camp Bastion, the main British base, provided hot meat pies and chips for those coming back from the front line. Without air conditioning the troops poured sweat, but still wanted the taste of home.

Today the food halls have air conditioning and theme nights serving a range of cuisine — though the meat pies are still on the menu.

The encroachment of the fast-food franchises has been slow. A Pizza Hut was established at Camp Bastion last summer but closed soon afterwards, while a Naafi bar serves bacon sandwiches but nothing stronger than cans of shandy.

A thrill of excitement greeted the recent arrival of a curry outlet serving vindaloo. In the forward operating bases conditions are relentlessly spartan and creature comforts generally fewer than at equivalent American bases.

Americans

The demise of the Kandahar Broadwalk as well as a cluster of fast-food outlets at the American airbase at Bagram — they were located on Disney Drive —will be a blow to the American forces locally and the plethora of nationalities working alongside them.

There is no mistaking the portly American rear-echelon forces, who are often advertisements for the supersize generation. However, even with the loss of the fast-food outlets, there are still the American on-base food halls for those not enduring MRE (meals, ready to eat) rations in the field. Here, groaning counters of snack foods sit alongside greasy hotplates and shelves stacked with fizzy drinks. The famously calorific Philly Steak Sandwich is a standard dish on the menu and the day begins with a fry-up complete with Southern style grits and biscuits.

To maintain morale the US Government undertakes extraordinary logistical challenges to deliver a “surf ’n’turf” dinner of steak and lobster even to forward bases every Friday.

On the walls of the food halls are despairing injunctions to remember to eat vegetables.

Germans

Already battered, Germany military pride has taken repeated blows in Afghanistan after revelations about the quantities of alcohol being consumed by German troops at Camp Marmal in northern Afghanistan.

A German parliamentary investigation found that the “Beach Club” at Camp Marmal had shifted 1.7million pints of beer and 90,000 bottles of wine in 2007:

482 pints of beer and 25 bottles of wine per person.

A leaked internal memo the same year suggested that German forces were regarded as “useless cake-eaters” by other nationalities.

A parliamentary report a year later warned that sausage and beer were trumping fruit and vegetables in the diet of German troops. More than 40 per cent of soldiers aged 18 to 29 were overweight — compared with 35 per cent of German civilians of the same age. About 70 per cent of the soldiers were heavy smokers. Nearly one in ten was clinically obese.

German forces in Kabul continue to enjoy steins of Bavarian lager at the Oese restaurant while the Wolfshole , a dimly lit nightspot, has tequila behind the bar.

French

Although the French Army no longer seems to travel with its own prostitutes, it lives up to most of its other national stereotypes. The lavish French restaurant L’Atmosphere at its Kabul headquarters — Camp Warehouse — offers an array of Gallic treats and a tolerable wine list to accompany such culinary delights as tartiflette and coq au vin.

It’s not just the rear-echelon soldiers allowed to indulge. At their forward operating base in Surobi, in the mountains east of Kabul, the Foreign Legionnaires built a hacienda bar offering copious quantities of Kronenbourg and pastis for a few cents a bottle. Guests are forbidden from buying a drink — but the soldiers there are overgenerous and, unlike some other nations, there is certainly no two-can limit to what they are allowed to consume. Their rations — which include rabbit, veal and duck — no longer include wine, but it’s not beyond the officers to improvise.

One reporter embedded with French troops on an operation in Taleban territory was offered coffee “with a kick” from a small Thermos flask while they waited on a mountainside to advance against the insurgents.

Dutch and Australians

Relations between the Dutch and Australian troops responsible for the high-altitude desert of Uruzgan almost foundered over the fare in the Dutch-run food hall at Kamp Holland.

When The Times visited, the hall was dominated by a large salad buffet, on which wilting lettuce leaves fought an unequal struggle with the dessicated air. Frankfurters wallowed in warm water near by.

It was far removed from Australian “barbie” culture and seemed to echo the countries’ approaches to war. Locals found the Dutch salad-eaters obsessed with cultural sensitivity and development while the Australians tended to take the fight to the enemy.

Starved of “Aussie tucker” Australian morale became such a concern that the issue was raised in the Australian parliament. The problem was exacerbated because Australian Special Forces had Aussie chefs at the base sizzling prawns and steaks on their barbies.

Morale was restored with the emergency despatch of a ten-man team of chefs and barbecue technicians for the regular forces.

Ehhhhh???!!!! :abovelol

[buglerbilly]

MREs from around the coalition

September 7th, 2010 | Link | Posted by Rob Curtis



The New York Times has an interactive look at the contents of 14 nation’s MREs. Worth a look if you think you might get the chance for a trade. You can get in idea how Polish Bogracz stacks up against chicken cavatelli.

Looks like almost all the nations MREs would be an even trade except for the Lithuanians and the Canadians. Save the Jambalaya for them.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/09/04/weekinreview/20100905_gilbertson.html

[buglerbilly]

Rations – Another Look

September 12th, 2010

Early last week, the New York Times gave their readers a glimpse at the gastronomic delights that are field rations. One of our readers was so kind as to send a couple photos of the most recent Australian ration packs and reminded us of their excellent ramen component.





He also sent us a photo of a commercial ration that some are using that closely mimics many of the NATO rations.



We are looking for your ration pictures and experiences so send them along.

[buglerbilly]

The Brit Rat Pack

September 16th, 2010

Answering our call for photos of military ration packs, we received this happy snap of a British issue Menu #1 made up of Steak & Veggies for the main meal, freeze dried porridge for breakfast, and Mexican tuna pasta for lunch. We would say that the more outrageous the name of a ration component the more likely it will suck. “Mexican”, “tuna”, and “pasta” just don’t go together.

[buglerbilly]

Via Soldier Systems.........

New Zealand Operational Ration Pack

September 20th, 2010

This is a review of the latest New Zealand ration pack sent in by one of our readers who asked to remain anonymous due to operational considerations. Thank you for your service and your review!



This is the latest development as the ration has had several changes in the past few years. A number of the components are made by the same company as the Australian CR1M – retort meals are exported from NZ to Australia, although special meal flavours are made for the Aussies. NZ retort pouches tend to be spicy (curry, jumbalaya, etc), whereas the Aussie ones are plain (beans and sausages, spaghetti and sausages etc). The NZ ration has 4 menus (see attached info sheet) and is designed to feed 1 person for 24 hours. There are no vegetarian/kosher/halal versions. I am a serving soldier and I have to say the thing I like is that you can actually write to the people that make the ration and they write back and take the feedback on board! As an example previous versions had one menu with glucose sweets and raisins, whereas none of the other menus had an equivalent. Now this has been changed so all menus have them.



The recaldent gum (made in Japan) is a new addition to protect soldiers’ teeth if they can’t brush them. The fruit bar is also quite innovative – it is a dehydrated product made from pure fruit which is edible without rehydration, and the serving is equivalent to eating 5 apples. I really like them.

The towelettes are not like the ones in the MRE – the NZ ones are simply paper soaked in alcohol, meaning they get used for many purposes – including cleaning canteen cups and lighting hexamine tablets! The matches are waterproof/windproof.



As far as a review goes the meals are quite good – they’re made by a civilian company that puts their commercial product in a mil-spec retort pouch. Chilli beef is my favourite, chicken jumbalaya 2nd. The satay isn’t good if you don’t like satay – it’s very much like peanut butter. Usually I dump the sugar and drinks – the soup is ALWAYS vegetable and is quite awful, and the chocolate drink tastes metallic and isn’t good if you have it at the recommended concentration. A canteen cup needs about 6 packets! The sports drinks are very good. The cabin bread is quite hard, but at least it doesn’t break. Some people like the canned cheese but I don’t. The muesli is good with a fair amount of condensed milk, even though the packet has milk powder in it. The onion flakes aren’t that good. The muesli bars have recently changed and are now a bit gluey. The biscuits are good, especially choc chip.

[buglerbilly]

Total Nutrition Awareness: Darpa Wants to Track Troops’ Food 24/7

By Katie Drummond October 13, 2010 | 10:54 am



Troops overindulging at the chow hall’s ice cream bar might not be able to conceal dietary lapses from their higher ups for much longer. The Pentagon’s looking to keep tabs on troop nutrition 24/7 , using “non-invasive or minimally invasive techniques” to track a series of nutritional indicators on an ongoing basis.

Darpa, the Pentagon’s far-out research arm, is hosting a meeting of the minds for nutritionists, doctors and developers, with the aim of creating easy-to-use gadgets that can measure key dietary indicators. The agency’s “Point of Use Nutritional Diagnostic Devices Workshop” will identify “the top 10 essential nutritional biomarkers,” including antioxidants, vitamins and metabolites, and potential methods to monitor them in real-time.

Of course, Darpa’s long been after super-charged troops. But the agency’s previous efforts, especially their “Peak Soldier Performance” initiative, have been a lot loftier than this kind of nutrition tracking. Those projects included a study on genetic variation and attempts at manipulating mitochondria, the powerhouses of the body’s cells. But that research could take years to transform troop performance, and the military’s already struggling with soldiers more accustomed to video games and Taco Bell than wind sprints and salad bars.

With thirty-five percent of American youth deemed unfit the serve because of health reasons, the Pentagon’s pushing to boost physical fitness levels. They’ve reworked recruit training programs to minimize injuries and help troops attain baseline fitness. Meanwhile, military medical researchers have launched a study on popular regimes like CrossFit and P90X, warning that today’s troops might not be able to handle the rigorous routines.

The military’s management of troop nutrition, however, is lagging. They’re only now kicking off preliminary efforts to swap soda for electrolyte-enriched drinks and frozen yogurt for ice cream, along with cutting back on “the greasy pleasures of the short order bar,” Army Times is reporting.

It’s not uncommon for troops to pack on pounds during deployment, with even Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling — the man behind the Army’s nutritional overhaul — copping to a 20 pound weight gain that he blames on “27 different types of meals with all kinds of gravy and things that aren’t healthy for you.”

And as Darpa’s workshop announcement notes, good nutrition is about much more than just healthy body weight. Well-fueled troops will not only perform better, they’ll “minimize susceptibility to illness, infection and injury.”

But how far do you take the nutrition push? As Darpa plots 24/7 nutrition monitoring and the Army overhauls their mess hall menu, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan — himself a notorious fitness nut — is bringing fast food outlets back to military bases.

“These quality-of-life programs remain important to soldiers for stress relief,” Gen. David Petraeus writes of mainstays like Burger King and Pizza Hut, “and therefore enhancing military readiness.”

Photo: U.S. Marines

Read More http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/10/total-nutrition-awareness-darpa-wants-to-track-troops-food-247/#ixzz12Hvp7TQj

[buglerbilly]

From Soldier Systems........tastiest looking rations so far! What's wrong with Rabbit? Lovely taste and everyone in Australia should eat 2-3 per week to keep the buggas at least notionally under control...............

Field Gourmet – French Rations

October 19th, 2010

Here are some photos of French rations from one of our dedicated readers. Keep them coming!



This example is for gourmands of MREs. The RCFIR (Reheatable Field rations) are great if you can “stomach” luxury meals such as tinned Rabbit stew and other French provincial meals. They also have Italian and Moroccan meals in their list of options as well as tinned fish, cocoa powder, potato soup and good crackers.



However, according to our reader, the candy selection is world class and he keeps their hard and fruit paste candies in his survival rations kit ALWAYS. He also related that the dark chocolate is delicious.



He did not get the boxed wine we all hear so much about but is continuing his search for issue Red wine. They also weigh a ton, about 1 pound and while purchasing them in Europe is easy, shipping to the USA is crazy expensive. He closed out his report by relating that the absolute best part is the small pocket Esbit heater in each box with six heat tabs and 12 matches.

[buglerbilly]

New lightweight ration packs hit the front line

An Equipment and Logistics news article

14 Feb 11

New lightweight ration packs which feature easy to carry new menus that can be eaten quickly whilst on patrol have arrived on the front line in Afghanistan.


Private Ryan Salmon (left) and Private Shaun Stranack, both from 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, with the new 12-hour ration packs
[Picture: Sergeant Rupert Frere RLC, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

Designed for troops on patrols lasting 12 hours or less, the latest nutritionally-balanced ration packs weigh less than one kilogramme and include food that can be easily carried in webbing pouches and pockets.

Delivered under a £140m contract with Hampshire-based company Purple Food Services, the latest ration packs feature new selections of food in the multi-climate variant as well as the ten-man versions used by military chefs feeding troops in more remote tactical bases.

Private Ryan Salmon, from 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, said:

"The new 12-hour ration packs are a great change from the normal rations. It contains beef jerky and a sandwich which are great for a quick meal.

"The chemical water heater and main meal are good when you are on short ops, you can get a quick warm scoff and not worry about messing around with a cooker."

As well as giving front line troops more variety, the three-year contract - which has options to be extended for up to four more years - is expected to deliver savings of £1.6m a year to the MOD.


The new 12-hour lightweight ration pack
[Picture: Sergeant Rupert Frere RLC, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

Every ration pack is nutritionally tailored to suit troops' needs in different environments and developed to ensure they are provided with the 4,000 or more calories a day they need to keep their energy levels up whilst on active service.

Menus include Hindu, Sikh, halal and vegetarian menus - all of which have been updated.

Captain Jeremy Rigby, Head of Defence Equipment and Support's Defence Food Services, said:

"This new contract - which was delivered ahead of schedule and under budget - enables us to produce innovative new rations quickly, meaning we can swiftly adapt to the latest operational requirements.

"It demonstrates our ongoing commitment to respond to feedback from our troops in Afghanistan, making sure we give them food they enjoy whilst maintaining the high nutritional content - as well as making the packs as light and convenient as possible."

All of the products contained in the new ration packs have been subjected to taste selection panels consisting of soldiers, sailors and Royal Marines recently returned from operations.

Link to the Vesteys website, five menu's shown.............

http://rations.vesteyfoods.com/ration_packs.asp

[buglerbilly]

AUSA Winter: US Army highlights rations enhancements

February 24, 2011



US Army Materiel Command (AMC) representatives have used the Association of the US Army (AUSA) Winter Symposium to highlight a new round of enhancements to its combat ration programme.

According to Gerald Darsch, Director of DoD Combat Feeding, several of the changes emerged from the latest Joint Service Operational Rations Forum (JSORF), held in early February 2011 at Fort Lee, Virginia.

‘The JSORF basically took our recommendations and adopted them,' Darsch said. ‘It means that MRE [Meal, Ready to Eat] 33, which is the 2013 date of pack, will see 11 new items going in.'

He said five new products would also be added to the Unitized Group Ration Heat and Serve (UGR-H&S), 27 new products would be included with the UGR-A (A Option), and - based on field tests carried out in Alaska - around 17 new products would be added to the Meal, Cold Weather and the Long Range Patrol rations.

‘So all of that is good news for warfighters, because variety is the spice of life,' Darsch said.

Approval has also been given for the ‘Hot Box', which has been designed to ‘nest' in a flat fashion into the UGR-E (Express) allowing one gallon of water to be heated from 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit in about 30 minutes. It will then maintain that temperature for two hours - even in a cold environment.

‘That means that 18 warfighters can each get six ounces of piping hot water without any power; without any fuel; and without having to stoke a fire. That's a good thing because it provides hot water for beverages; it provides a little bit of hot water for personal hygiene; in fact, the warfighters want that. So that will actually become an integrated part of the UGR-E, probably in the next procurement of that product. So I think that's pretty helpful as well.'

Along with the new additions, as part of the DoD's continuous product improvement processes of its fielded ration systems, the ‘Type 2' of the UGR-E has been developed.

Darsch said while ‘Type One' has been successful is providing remote small units with a high quality hot meal, it did require some assembly of the chemical heaters and activation to heat the product up.

‘The Type Two version does not require any assembly whatsoever, so it makes it a lot easier for the warfighter. When he or she receives this UGR-E and are ready to eat they pull two tabs.'

by Scott R. Gourley, Fort Lauderdale

[buglerbilly]

Film Changes Color When Food Spoils

Analysis by Nic Halverson

Fri Apr 8, 2011 09:41 AM ET



Obvious potential for future Military use............

For the most part, expiration dates on packaged meat provide a safeguard between what's fresh and what's spoiled. However, corners can always be cut and dates can be forged, leading to scandals that can leave consumers feeling a downright rotten. And who hasn't performed a suspicious sniff test on that forgotten pack of chicken breasts in the back of the fridge?

But all that second-guessing could become a thing of the past, now that researchers in Munich, Germany, have developed a new sensor film for food packages that changes color -- from yellow to blue -- when food spoils.

Developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Modular Solid State Technologies EMFT, the sensor film can be directly integrated to the insides of food packaging where it responds to biogenic amines. Amines are the molecules produced when foods -- particularly meat and fish -- decay and responsible for the foul smell.

When amines are released into the air within the new packaging, the sensor film reacts and the indicator dye changes to blue.

“Once a certain concentration range is reached, the color change is clearly visible and assumes the task of warning the consumer,” explained scientist Anna Hezinger in a press release for EMFT. “Unlike the expiration date, the information on the sensor film is not based on an estimate but on an actual control of the food itself."

Scientists are also developing sensor film with a built-in measurement module so employees in the food and packaging industries can directly test the freshness of food products. The module would objectively analyze the sensor film's color reaction and provide a more precise level of freshness.

Image: Fraunhofer EMFT

[buglerbilly]

Green coffee perks up troops

An Equipment and Logistics news article

6 Jun 11

A new contract was signed last week (ahead of yesterday's World Environment Day) providing Armed Forces on operations with sustainably-sourced, instant coffee from Cornish charity Cool Earth.


Coffee cherries growing in Itupeva, Sao Paulo, Brazil (stock image)
[Picture: Fernando Stankuns 2008]

For each tin sold, the charity will protect five trees in the Amazon which would otherwise have fallen victim to loggers. This means that under the £375k contract around 300,000 trees covering an area four times the size of Hyde Park will be saved.

It is also estimated that, thanks to the purchase of the 100 per cent Rainforest Alliance-certified Brazilian coffee beans, around 410,526 tonnes of carbon dioxide will be offset.

Captain Jeremy Rigby RN, Defence Food Team Leader at the MOD's Defence Equipment and Support organisation, said:

"This contract is an example of how our suppliers have been able to source a quality brand of coffee for our troops which provides value for money to the taxpayer and also furthers our commitment to supporting wider green issues. "


Cool Earth coffee canister
[Picture: Courtesy of Fine Foods International]

Cool Earth coffee is produced and manufactured by Fine Foods International (FFI).

Austin Sugarman, Managing Director of FFI, said:

"Any contract to supply the MOD is subject to rigorous product and quality specifications so we are extremely pleased that Cool Earth Coffee has been selected.

"While value for money is obviously a high priority, the award of this contract proves that with Cool Earth Coffee the MOD can offer a high quality product whilst still ensuring a true ethical stance is adopted."

The contract goes live this month and will initially run for 12 months, with an option to extend.

[buglerbilly]

MREs get a new kick with caffeinated jerky and Zapplesauce

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/toward-a-better-military-meal/2011/10/27/gIQA3bwZTM_gallery.html
View Photo Gallery —  After a decade of war, military food scientists have been hard at work at a little-known research facility outside Boston transforming the field ration — known as the Meal, Ready to Eat — into something not just good-tasting but full of energy-enhancing ingredients.

By Christian Davenport, Sunday, October 30, 8:07 AM

Natick, Mass. — And now, from the folks who developed the atomic bomb, Kevlar underwear and the Humvee, presenting the latest in war-fighting technology:

Caffeinated meat.

That’s right, an Army lab here is testing a beef jerky stick that looks and tastes just like your average Slim Jim but contains an equivalent of a cup of coffee’s worth of caffeine to give even the sleepiest soldier that up-and-at-’em boost.

After a decade of war, military food scientists have been hard at work at a little-known research facility outside Boston transforming the field ration — known as the Meal, Ready to Eat, and perhaps the most complained about food in the world — into something not just good-tasting but full of energy-enhancing ingredients.

“There is a lot of science that goes into this,” said David Accetta, a spokesman for the Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center, where every item put into an MRE is tested and tasted. “And that’s what a lot of people don’t realize. It’s not just a bunch of cooks in the kitchen making up recipes.”

In addition to caffeine, military technologists are lacing food with supplements such as omega 3s and curcumin, which act as anti-inflammatories. Maltodextrin, a complex carbohydrate that gives service members a little turbo charge, is injected into an amped-up applesauce called Zapplesauce.

And that energizing goo gobbled by marathoners? The Army is developing its very own.

Complaining about the MRE has been a sport within the ranks for years. They’ve been called every derogatory name possible: Meals Rejected by Everyone. Meals Refused by the Enemy. Materials Resembling Edibles. Meals Refusing to Exit.

But in its latest permutations, officials here say, the MRE has gone gourmet — or as gourmet as can be for food that has a shelf life of three years at 80 degrees and can withstand an airdrop from thousands of feet.

The no-name casserole, mystery meat and mealy tuna have been replaced by dishes endorsed by the Natick center’s “sensory evaluators.” Recent chow additions include chicken and pesto pasta, feta cheese and tomato. Dining al fresco in their trenches, soldiers now can choose from ratatouille, garlic mashed potatoes, salsa verde and a strawberry-banana dairy shake.

If you have the time to heat water, there’s instant Irish-cream coffee. If not, caffeinated beef jerky, the military’s variation on the commercially available Perky Jerky, should soon be turning up in MREs.

The technologists’ efforts may be paying off. In reviewing one of the newer entrees, a food writer for the Boston Globe wrote, “The pasta is tender but not falling apart, the sauce dense and sweet, similar to many commercial sauces.”

Besides whipping up new, improved MRE items, Natick also serves as the Army’s equivalent of James Bond’s laboratory.

Here, scientists are developing Global Positioning System-guided helicopters and weaving electrical wires into uniforms and adding keypads to the sleeves. They’re working with Lockheed Martin, the Bethesda-based defense contractor, to build a robotic exoskeleton (think a less dramatic Iron Man) that would allow service members to carry as much as 200 pounds on their backs.

The combat-food department is part industrial kitchen, part chemistry lab. The other day, cooks wearing fishnet caps worked on a new soup. A researcher stashed a variety of MREs in an 80-degree storage facility, to be tasted over a period of months.

And in the tasting room, the sensory evaluators judged the latest creations, including a beef and vegetable stew, using sommelier-worthy adjectives. They pronounced the comestibles to be “brothy,” “floral,” “metallic,” “earthy,” “musty” or “grassy.”

If the researchers deem a meal acceptable, they take it to military bases across the country, asking service members to fill out a 17-question survey after sampling sessions. And because they know troops will say one thing and do another, they go through the trash to see what items they rejected.

Napoleon said that an army marches on its stomach. But as many battlefield veterans can attest, the Pentagon for years largely paid no heed to the meals soldiers were offered.

Feeding thousands of service members during war has always been a challenge. To provide fresh meat during the Civil War, the Army drove cattle alongside soldiers to be slaughtered on the spot. In World War I, soldiers got “trench rations” of “hard bread,” beef, salmon and sardines but scant vegetables.

World War II brought more variety and even cigarettes. But during the Vietnam years, rations were still basic meat and potatoes. The first MREs, developed in the early 1980s, weren’t much better.

“We neglected one tiny little detail,” said Gerald Darsch, the director of the Defense Department’s Combat Feeding Directorate. “Will the war fighter actually eat it?”

During Operation Desert Storm in the early ’90s, the complaints were so loud that Gen. Colin L. Powell, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, summoned Darsch from Natick to the Pentagon.

“Don’t sit down,” Darsch says Powell told him. The general held up an MRE and said, “I have two words for you: Fix it.”

During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which at one point helped increase demand for MREs to 8 million cases a year, the taste of the food has become increasingly important.

Natick scientists doubled the number of MRE options from 12 to 24, started asking soldiers for feedback and paid closer attention to not only the way meals tasted but how they looked. Salmon should not resemble the worn spot of a catcher’s mitt. Even when people are shooting at you in the desert, potatoes should beckon like scrumptious little pillows. Tabasco sauce is meant to enhance — not mask — flavor.

“If applesauce doesn’t look like applesauce, a war fighter is not going to eat it,” said Jeremy Whitsitt, who works in business operations at the feeding directorate.

His other maxim: “Nothing takes out a battalion of soldiers quicker than bad food.”

The military also began experimenting with energy-enhancing supplements for ordinary rations as well as specialized ones. They created what’s called the First Strike Ration, a lightweight, 2,900-calorie meal designed in particular for Special Operations forces in Iraq or Afghanistan.

MREs overall have become more diverse and attuned to market trends. Food technologists study menus at T.G.I. Friday’s and Applebee’s for inspiration.

“Mexican is big these days,” Whitsitt noted.

Pizza, however, continues to be problematic. Every soldier wants it. Who doesn’t? But all those ingredients — the bread, the cheese, the sauce — are a nightmare. Especially the sauce, which after just a few days makes even the most robust crust soggy. And its high water content breeds bacteria; as the food scientists say: “Biology happens.”

They’ve tried substituting tomato paste, but paste is gluey. So they continue to work on it. And hope.

Every year, the military changes menu items based on service member feedback. In recent years, the Army axed the cheese and vegetable omelet and the white albacore tuna. In came the apple-cinnamon muffin tops and the Asian pepper steak.

For 2013, officials are thinking about adding a chicken and rice dish and beef lo mein. Sgt. Seth Bullock, a veteran of Iraq, was asked for his thoughts. He wasn’t crazy about the lo mein. “I’m not partial to mushrooms,” he said.

But the chicken and rice reminded him of the meals he enjoyed growing up in Georgia. So did the potatoes au gratin, which, he said, “tastes like home.”

[buglerbilly]

Meal Ready to Eat (MRE) Replacement: Mtn House & Mary Janes Farms

by Brandon Webb on December 8, 2011


Kit UP MRE Alternative: MaryJaneFarms

I’m a big fan of NOT eating MRE’s when I don’t have to. I literally lived off them for six months in Afghanistan and horse traded with many a foreigner (very few were willing to trade) for a meal upgrade. Something about those nasty little things that get to you after a while.


Kit Up MRE Replacement: Mountain House Meals

Anyway, I’m a BIG fan of the freeze dried options that are available at most camping stores. The nice thing is that if it’s winter you can just boil snow without packing additional water to boil the meal. Two favorites of mine are the Mountain House and MaryJane Farms. Although Mountain House puts their meals in a vacuum compressed bag that’s ready to rock right off the shelf, Mary Janes packs flat and I think I prefer the latter for that reason. They have some very tasty selections and I suggest you try them out in the field or on your next foray into the woods.

FYI-also excellent survival food and they weigh much less than a case of MRE’s. So when occupy something comes to your neighborhood you’ll be ready to high tail it out of there.

Brandon out.

Mary Jane Farms: http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/categories/food-pantry.asp

Mountain House: http://www.mountainhouse.com/

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/#ixzz1fx284ek3
Kit Up!

[buglerbilly]

Soldiers declare war on 'healthy' rations and go into battle in Afghanistan on empty stomachs

By Ian Drury

Last updated at 1:08 AM on 21st January 2012

Napoleon famously declared that an Army marches on its stomach.

But soldiers serving in Afghanistan are going into battle hungry because they refuse to eat the ‘disgusting’ food in their revamped ration packs.

Troops are unhappy that ‘good old British’ meals such as sausage and beans and Lancashire hotpot have been replaced by salads, muesli and strawberry porridge.

The contents of the ration packs were changed in 2009, supposedly to make them more palatable for young squaddies.
But one sergeant deployed in Helmand province said his men were so put off by the healthier ‘rat packs’ that they regularly gave half of them away.

Writing in this month’s Soldier magazine, Sergeant Coburn, of 39 Regiment Royal Artillery, said: ‘Why has most troops’ favourite breakfast, beans and sausages, been replaced by inferior cold options such as strawberry porridge and tropical muesli?

‘These dishes are for an acquired palate and are generally disliked. In respect of lunch, how can soup be considered filling? As for the other packs, tuna and salmon are no good for non-fish eaters and the pasta and bean salads taste of vinegar.



‘I am aware of the range of cultures of the men and women serving in the British Army, but what has happened to the good old British menus such as Lancashire hotpot?

‘On average my troop gives away half of every ration pack. Surely in this day and age soldiers should not need to supplement rations out of their own pocket? We are marching on half-empty stomachs and losing weight which in turn affects our operational effectiveness.’

The previous ration packs had sustained troops for more than 40 years with traditional options such as corned beef hash, treacle pudding and hard-to-swallow ‘biscuits brown’.

The new packs contain spicier, more exotic meals such as paella, Thai green curry, chicken arrabiata and sweet and sour chicken.

An Army spokesman said: ‘Not all British troops wanted a hot breakfast, especially in the heat of the Afghan summer.

While some troops may not like a cold choice for breakfast, generally these have been received very positively by most soldiers.’

An MoD spokesman said: ‘Most personnel enjoy the menus and we welcome feedback from those on operations.

‘The multi-climate packs are nutritionally tailored to suit troops’ needs and were developed to ensure they are provided with the calories they need to keep their energy levels up.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2089706/Soldiers-battle-Afghanistan-stomachs.html#ixzz1k41VESdd

[buglerbilly]

Part of the prblem here may well be cultural but also the MoD and Army are not considering the fact that menu's should differ between Summer and Winter. Soup etc may make some more sense when the outside temps are in the 30's and 40's but when they plunge to single figures or below freezing, the traditionals come to the fore.

I've never had a problem with most dishes but I loathe certain foods and nothing is going to change that.