How To Make MREs Worse...

Posted By Blackfive

Okay, now I'm pissed!

Yeff sends this New Scientist article about an improvement in hydrating Meals-Ready-To-Eat (MRE).

Army rations rehydrated by urine
Would you eat food cooked in your own urine? Food scientists working for the US military have developed a dried food ration that troops can hydrate by adding the filthiest of muddy swamp water or even peeing on it...

I've never been a fan of the MRE. I always found it strange that some soldiers LOVE them. Don't start emailing me hate mail about how great these things are...I've only been out of things for a few years. MREs couldn't have gone gormet in that amount of time. Get a grip...or some new taste buds.

I understand that, for certain short-term survival situations, this may be a really good idea. But for the million or so other soldiers eating these things, um, not so good.

...The ration comes in a pouch containing a filter that removes 99.9 per cent of bacteria and most toxic chemicals from the water used to rehydrate it, according to the Combat Feeding Directorate, part of the US Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Massachusetts. This is the same organisation that created the "indestructible sandwich" that will stay fresh for three years (New Scientist print edition, 10 April 2002).

The aim is to reduce the amount of water soldiers need to carry. One day's food supply of three meals, weighs 3.5 kilograms but that can be reduced to about 0.4 kilograms with the dehydrated pouches, says spokeswoman Diane Wood.

The pouch - containing chicken and rice initially - relies on osmosis to filter the water or urine. When two solutions of different concentrations are separated by a semipermeable membrane, with gaps that allow only water molecules to pass through, the water is drawn to the more concentrated side...

*groan* Why do they experiment with the Chicken and Rice? Yuck! Next to the Tuna-And-Noodles, I can't really think of a more disgusting meal...unless you happen to urinate on it.

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Comments

How To Make MREs Worse...

Okay, now I'm pissed!

Yeff sends this New Scientist article about an improvement in hydrating Meals-Ready-To-Eat (MRE).

Army rations rehydrated by urine
Would you eat food cooked in your own urine? Food scientists working for the US military have developed a dried food ration that troops can hydrate by adding the filthiest of muddy swamp water or even peeing on it...

I've never been a fan of the MRE. I always found it strange that some soldiers LOVE them. Don't start emailing me hate mail about how great these things are...I've only been out of things for a few years. MREs couldn't have gone gormet in that amount of time. Get a grip...or some new taste buds.

I understand that, for certain short-term survival situations, this may be a really good idea. But for the million or so other soldiers eating these things, um, not so good.

...The ration comes in a pouch containing a filter that removes 99.9 per cent of bacteria and most toxic chemicals from the water used to rehydrate it, according to the Combat Feeding Directorate, part of the US Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Massachusetts. This is the same organisation that created the "indestructible sandwich" that will stay fresh for three years (New Scientist print edition, 10 April 2002).

The aim is to reduce the amount of water soldiers need to carry. One day's food supply of three meals, weighs 3.5 kilograms but that can be reduced to about 0.4 kilograms with the dehydrated pouches, says spokeswoman Diane Wood.

The pouch - containing chicken and rice initially - relies on osmosis to filter the water or urine. When two solutions of different concentrations are separated by a semipermeable membrane, with gaps that allow only water molecules to pass through, the water is drawn to the more concentrated side...

*groan* Why do they experiment with the Chicken and Rice? Yuck! Next to the Tuna-And-Noodles, I can't really think of a more disgusting meal...unless you happen to urinate on it.

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