- US Army seeks lighter rations to significantly reduce logistical burdens on the battlefield
- Gel and powder flours are reviewed for the development of combat rations
- Insect and lab-grown meat excluded from current Army study
The US military wants to change what soldiers eat during combat operations through a new ad sought by a source.
The military branch is asking for help developing alternative protein technologies for field rations in the near future.
The stated goal is to create light, nutrient-dense meals that reduce the logistical burdens on individual troops.
Lighten combat rations
Anyone who has carried heavy MREs on a long march understands why lighter rations are important for survival; However, the proposed delivery formats don’t sound particularly appetizing to anyone who has eaten military food before.
The military is pursuing innovative technologies such as fermentation and other biomanufacturing methods for the production of alternative proteins.
Meat alternative products could eventually join the standard line of MREs for soldiers operating in combat zones.
The Army also wants extensive consumer research to understand what troops will actually eat under field conditions.
Food samples will be sent to government tasters to evaluate their sensory acceptability and other performance characteristics.
“Gel/semi-solid formats, dry powder mixtures, [and] “sauce-style components” are under consideration for future ration components.
The Army explicitly excludes lab-grown meat and insect proteins from this particular announcement, so soldiers will likely appreciate that there will be no insects in their immediate future of military meals.
Past MRE Preferences Could Predict Future Success or Failure
The vegetarian MRE options of twenty years ago were surprisingly popular among soldiers who normally ate meat without hesitation, perhaps because those meals replaced the usual military mystery meat with something much more appealing to eat from a sealed envelope.
The soldiers chose those vegetarian rations not out of ethical alignment with any personal philosophy about animal products, but rather they simply wanted a meal that didn’t taste terrible after a 15-mile march with heavy equipment on their backs.
This same logic will apply to any future alternative protein rations the Army develops for use in the field.
If a fermented mushroom gel or dried protein powder tastes bad, no soldier will eat it, regardless of its logistical benefits.
Current Army research on gels, sauces and semi-solid formats must prioritize palatability above any other technical requirements.
Beef sausages and compressed meatloaves earned a bad reputation among soldiers who served in the early 2000s.
The Army should learn from those failures before asking troops to swallow ungodly milkshakes or fermented mushrooms from a bag.
A lighter ration is useless if soldiers throw it away and march on an empty stomach.
The veteran’s perspective matters here because past behavior predicts future behavior under similar stressful conditions.
Soldiers will always choose the least terrible option available, regardless of what food scientists consider innovative or efficient.
Through registration
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds.
