Soldiers wanted pizza, so the U.S. military delivered some that they can nosh on for up to three years.
Scientists at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) in Natick, Mass. have been working on a “meals ready-to-eat” (MRE) — lightweight field rations used since 1981 when the meals replaced canned food — version of pizza. On Feb. 6, the team created their first prototype pizza.
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The ingredients posed the biggest problem with creating pizza that could last the amount of time required for military food rations — namely the moisture from tomato sauce, cheese and toppings seeping into the dough. Over time, that moisture would result in soggy pizza — perfect conditions for mold and bacteria to grow.
Scientists, however, changed the acidity of the sauce, cheese and dough and added ingredients called humectants — sugar, salt and syrups — that prevent water from reaching the dough to reduce the growth of bacteria and mold.
The team is still working on the prototype, so most soldiers haven’t tried the pizza yet. However, the scientists at the NSRDEC enjoy the MRE pizza, telling the Associated Press that it tastes like something “you would get from a pizza parlor.”
"It pretty much tastes just like a typical pan pizza that you would make at home and take out of the oven or the toaster oven," said Jill Bates, a scientist at the NSRDEC who runs the lab. "The only thing missing from that experience would be it's not hot when you eat it. It's room temperature."
Though scientists at the NSRDEC also work on developing new gear for the U.S. Army, the quest for MRE pizza remains a priority as it’s one of soldiers' most requested food items.
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