Past, Present and Future of Military Food Technology

Food technology has been instrumental in ensuring that troops remain ＂fit to fight＂. Early food technologies produced flat bread, hard biscuits, cheese and salted meat, allowing Roman legionaries to carry rations for several days. Canning was invented in the late 18th century in response to the French Government＇s offer of a substantial reward to the person whose invention would allow troops to carry their food when marching long distances. World War II saw further advances in the form of stable and palatable canned meals, compressed cereal bars, candy-coated peanuts and other innovative foods in US combat rations. Two significant technology breakthroughs in the second half of the 20th century have altered the form of military rations. Freeze drying matured as an industrial technology, allowing the production of long-life, light-weight rations. Flexible packaging, based on plastic laminates, led to reduced weight and less waste disposal through the development of retort pouched meals （meals in flexible packaging that have undergone heat sterilization）, which have largely replaced metal cans in combat rations. Improvements in quality of military rations, particularly their organoleptic properties, are emerging through application of innovative technologies such as high-pressure thermal processing, pulsed electric field, and microwave assisted thermal sterilization. Research and development of ＂functional foods＂, such as those containing added essential fatty acids or probiotics offers the potential to provide combat rations that can further improve soldier health and performance.

Main Technical Differences in the Processing of Broilers： A Comparison between Slaughterhouses in Brazil and UK

Rapid technological advances in chicken processing in plants around the world have meant that different techniques are being employed regarding the slaughter＇s flow process. This paper aimed to compare and contrast systems and practices in two large slaughterhouses--one in UK and the other in Brazil. Annotated observations were made during inspection visits to chicken slaughterhouses in the two countries between 2014 and 2016. Whilst there were similarities in the two systems, there are also clear differences. The Brazilian case is evidently adapted for a more tropical condition, rather than the temperate one in UK. The handling practices of birds used during transportation, waiting, stunning as well as pre-cooling differ in techniques employed and consequently likely their efficiencies. In UK, the practices are more geared towards water and energy saving. The difference in market conditions and the length of the respective supply chains also determine the type of primary packaging used in final products. Both countries adhere to similar rulings applied to slaughterhouses. However, in the Brazilian case, it tended to comply with mainly external market demands. In conclusion, managers in the Brazilian poultry system could consider looking into adopting some of the practices used in UK, such as cage/crate dimension which reduce bird＇s lesions and bruises; the use of stunning by modified atmosphere and pre-cooling for resource efficiency reasons and improvement in animal welfare. Finally, when distances between sites of production and consumption are great such as in Brazil, the use of modified atmosphere technology could be also further explored to ensure better quality of the final product.

“No Need to Get Salty” Or Is There? Sodium Functionality as a Consideration in Nutrition Public Health Policy

Aim: Public health professionals focus on both downstream (individual) and upstream (population-level) interventions to reduce sodium consumption and prevent sodium-related chronic diseases. Effective upstream interventions specifically aimed at reducing dietary sodium intake include the implementation of comprehensive nutrition standards that restrict the amount of sodium contained in foods available for purchase. The aim of this work was to identify sought-after foods that did not meet the Philadelphia Nutrition Standards’ sodium limits and reformulate those foods to be standards-compliant and consumer-acceptable. Subject and Methods: Two foods were reformulated for compliancy with the Philadelphia Nutrition Standards’ sodium limits and consumer acceptability: the hoagie roll and soft pretzel. Reformulation included sensory testing and engaging potential manufacturing partners to investigate products’ commercial potential. Results: While hoagie roll reformulation led to a local company manufacturing and selling the reformulated product, soft pretzel reformulation stalled due to lack of consumer acceptability of the reformulated product. Salt contributes desirable characteristics in the texture, taste, and appearance of the soft pretzel, the absence of which consumers found unacceptable. Conclusion: Product reformulation holds great potential to create lower-sodium foods that otherwise have all of the characteristics of the higher-sodium “original” products but requires an understanding of the role of salt in product recipes. Reducing salt without considering its multiple functions in food may result in a product that is unacceptable or even unsafe. A simple four-step tool can help public health practitioners evaluate the extent to which products are suitable for reformulation.

Chemical Composition and Nutritional Evaluation of Cake Made with Flour Mixture of Pigeonpea and Rice

This study aimed to develop and characterize a cake based on a flour mixture of pigeonpea and rice. Four cake formulations of different percentages of pigeonpea flour (PF) and Rice Flour (RF) (0% PF + 100% RF, 10% PF + 90% RF, 20% PF + 80% RF, 30% PF + 70% RF) were developed based on a traditional formulation. Microbiological, physicochemical and sensory evaluations were performed. The tasters preferred the mix formulation containing 30% pigeonpea and 70% rice (p < 0.05). This formulation presented adequate physicochemical and microbiological characteristics. The study also showed 90% acceptance and 70% purchase intention by the tasters. It is concluded that the use of a flour mixture of pigeonpea and rice allows an innovative, nutritious product, with good acceptance and technological potential. This product meets the needs of the food industry, such as: 1) it is gluten-free;2) contributes for the adoption of healthy eating habits;3) promotes family farming;and 4) stimulates the consumption of regional vegetables that can be incorporated into school meals menus, rescuing the consumption habits of rice and beans and eventually valuing the traditional Brazilian diet. It is worth noting the low lipid, high fiber, iron and zinc content characteristic of the developed product.

Integrated Renewable Energy Solutions for Aquaculture Processing Enerfish

The European Union Framework Programme 71 Enerfish project aims to demonstrate a new poly-generation application with renewable energy sources for the fishery industry in Vietnam. The fish processing plant under consideration can be made by energy self-sufficient when all fish waste oil is processed into biodiesel and further converted to electricity and heat （for cooling） in a CHP （combined heat and power） unit. The purpose of the present paper is to discuss the profitability of such plants in southeast Asia. The economic model shows that electricity production is, due to the low electricity tariff, uneconomical （except during electricity blackout）, even if cogeneration heat can be utilized. This prompt a design of the plant whereby the necessary heat for the biodiesel process is taken from the waste heat produced by the compressors of a CO2 cooling system. According to the calculations and assumptions of the present study, the profitability of biodiesel production from fish cleaning wastes in Vietnam depends strongly on the market prices for fish waste and fish oil. Different business case scenarios are described.