Military Researchers Finally Create A Pizza Ration

Pizza is one of the most requested rations by soldiers but because of the sauce, cheese and dough combination, it often results in a breeding ground for bacteria as the base turns soggy. Food scientists from the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center in Massachusetts think they have found a solution and are testing a prototype pizza that could be part of the ‘military meals ready to eat’ (MREs).

Scientists have employed the use of the preservatives known collectively as humectants in order to prevent the dough from going soggy. Humectants bind to water and so in the case of pizza, lock moisture into the other ingredients, preventing it from leaking into the dough. To stop bacteria from feasting on the delicious Italian favourite, the acidity is adjusted and iron filings are placed inside the packaging to soak up any air that get traps inside.

However for this to be a success it needs to be more than just bacteria-resistant, it needs to taste good too. “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,” says Lab director Jill Bates.

It has taken two years of research to get this far and it is looking positive for all the soldiers desperate for a slice of pizza.

[Image via Fox News]

SOUREC: http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/14/5411508/military-pizza-prototype-lasts-three-years-without-spoiling