Military food is an important area of ??food research. As the particularity of military food purposes, military technology in the processing of food, nutrition and packaging and other technical indicators are more advanced than the civilian food, there are many commercial foods are transformed from the military technology. This article briefly describe the historical development of military food and food under the current military situation, on the development trend of military food packaging to make a simple prediction.
First, the military history of the development of food
1. Military food Definition: technical standards stipulated by the military production, supply all kinds of standard food in general. This concept tells us, not the army that military food consumed food, it has a specific technical and tactical requirements. For example, it requires small size, light weight, portable convenience food: Nutrition reasonable structure; palatability; digestible and absorbed: health and safety; shelf. Here you can quantify it, such as weight parts required for each meal should be less than 1000 grams, reservoir requires more than 2 years, can be ready to eat in the wild environment and so on.
PLA's military food into field of food, food voyage, life-saving food and general food four categories. As the name implies, military food with different occasions, their requirements are different. Mainly in the form of military food products are dehydrated foods, canned foods into two categories, at present, some middle-moisture food technology and packaging technology through the fence improves shelf life, began to enter the field of military food.
2. Military Food Research Definition: the development and improvement of military food research activities. It is an integral part of military research. Its main task is to use scientific methods developed various types of military personnel in war conditions or extraordinary circumstances require convenient and delicious, safety and health and nutrition reasonable standard of food.
Military food research can be traced back to 1790. At that time, the French army led by Napoleon, often far from home fighting overstretched the obvious contradiction between supply rations, food had not arrived in front metamorphism. To this end, the French army was established by J. -L. Cover a Lussac and other scientists as members of the military food research committee. 1810, France N. Apel invention is a method of food cans possession early military food research important results. The next 100 years, food science, nutrition development, the discovery of vitamins, food for military research has laid a theoretical foundation. During World War II, the U.S. military took food research series. If, according to the operational environment is different, for general, special and life-saving food research: according to the number of different supplies for man and collective food research. 1941 ~ 1945, the U.S. military developed 23 kinds of food, including the famous D-rations supply urgently block, C rations and for paratroopers and tank crews using the K-rations. In 1957, the U.S. military began using flexible alternative to tinplate packaging materials research, in 1978 the successful development of long-term storage of food cooking bags, which is studied in military food packaging materials, packaging technology breakthrough. 1978, the U.S. military food research from the battlefield hot food security needs, to begin developing mobile combat conditions in the military to facilitate heating of food, in 1982, successfully developed a new generation of collective rations T rations. After 1988, the U.S. embarked 21st century combat conditions military food research focusing on the development of high caloric density, optimal nutrient composition, continuous consumption and composition of modular military food.
From the historical point of view the development of military food, canning technology is due to the birth of military necessity. In this process, the package consists of glass bottles, tin into the development process are the first flexible packaging for the army, gradually converted to civilian products.
3. The main content of military food
Military food processing. Including research to determine the required raw materials, container, production processes (including canning, drying, irradiation, compression, vacuum infiltration, etc.) processing technology and anti-corrosion, anti-oxidation technology military food nutritional properties and their functions. Categories of personnel in different environments studied nutritional needs and health needs. Including meals spectrum, and daily servings of parts and other combinations of food nutrition.
Military food packaging materials and packaging technology. Military food packaging should meet the storage, carry, transport requirements. Packaging material should be resistant to tearing, resistance to brittle fracture, impact; thorn rolling resistance, abrasion resistance, high temperature or low temperature; deadening water, water vapor and gases; to mold, insects, fat rancidity, able to adapt and floating airdrop required; can prevent neutron damage, chemical agents. There are currently using more tinplate, plastic film, multilayer composite films.
Military food during storage, transport process changes.
Military food additives. Including antioxidants, preservatives, antifungal agents, bioactive substances, flavor substances.
Military food special properties. Including sensory acceptability, nutritional function, carry transport and other properties. For example, military food is usually in days or parts of servings for the basic unit, according to different types of combat environments dietary needs of the warfighter to provide heat, emphasizing the food protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and other nutrients balance. Some occasions, urged military food has anti-fatigue, anti-anoxia, anti-cold, anti-radiation and mobilizing fat, enhance physical fitness.
Identification of military food quality and functionality. Including physical, chemical and sensory evaluation methods.
4. Military Food Research Features
Emphasis on military effectiveness. To achieve the performance of military food, technical and tactical targets, military food research requires the integrated use of various techniques, technologies. Easy to carry military food such as compression technology; military canning food processing technology, drying technology, radiation technology, vacuum infiltration techniques; to improve storability used in anti-corrosion, anti-oxidation technology and packaging technology; to improve the acceptance self-heating technology of using biological active substance, and add technology.
Attention to nutritional balance. Japanese military food servings or generally servings constitute the basic unit. It is not just a simple eat products, and military personnel in combat environments to maintain physical necessities of survival, it should be able to solve for a long time to rely on their survival and acceptance of nutrition personnel issues should be nutrient-rich, comprehensive, can prevent vitamin deficiency, can keep all kinds of combatants strength and energy.
Second, the brief history of our military ration
1. Phase 1 (1949 to 1976)
Before 1949, the PLA is not standard military food. After the liberation began military food research, began to supply during the Korean War. Limited to the prevailing conditions, the development of less variety, taste pure, intolerant of storage, easy to degenerate. Military Medical Sciences Health and Nutrition Research Institute in 1953 and studied the speed of quick cooking rice noodles: non-staple food supply over canned: 1958 General Logistics Department and the Shanghai Institute of Food Industry jointly developed compression savory and sweet biscuits, cereals biscuits, cake compression beans, corn lamb and other four rations.
In support to Vietnam during the compression rations developed 701,702.
The main outcome of this phase of the study was 701,702 compressed dry food. Because it is dried products, using drums, embedded cover, nitrogen plus soldering. Tinplate cans mainly for hard-canned.
2. Phase 2 (1976 to 1982)
1976-1982, developed by the three kinds of military staple (761 compressed dry food, dehydrated noodles, dehydrated rice), and three non-staple food (canned luncheon meat, fried assorted canned meat, canned diced Sauce) consisting of novel foods and named as the first generation of this field food.
The main features of this phase of the study: military food began to consider the main non-staple food mix, but the formation of servings. Dehydrated rice, dehydrated noodles due to technical problems, not the armed forces. In this stage, the packaging is no major breakthrough, basically along the cited Phase 1 packaging materials.
3. Phase 3 (1983 to 1994)
1983 to 1986, started to develop the second generation of our military ration. It consists of ordinary man food, general collective food, border patrol soldiers and tanks food food components. Since then a number of conditions, ultimately not developed equipment.
86 years later, I have launched a plateau border patrol forces dedicated food (861 man-rations), scout food, Lu Qin series field of food, 90 compression rations, 94 dehydrated rice, canned vegetables military development. Among them, dehydrated rice, Lu Qin series field food rations were 90 compression has been applied.
The main features of this phase: In the composition constitutes a form of servings of food, daily servings, individual and collective food food; in nutrition indicators presented calories and nutrients ratio indicators; Meanwhile, the Navy, the Air Force also developed a voyage food, life-saving food and airborne food. This stage, canned packaging using flexible packaging materials, dry goods storage, such as dehydration rice stored with deadening properties using multi-layer composite material. As the particularity of soft canned production technology, production process occurs seal contamination, damage rate and other issues, in the selection of varieties also appeared some problems.
4. Phase 4 (1995 -)
Army launched a high-energy field rations, food Landing Operation MOUNTAIN field to staple food and non-staple food and soup drink three series of next-generation field-based food research.
Energy field rations for the first time used in the field of functional food substances, crossing and landing field of food for the first time used the self-heating device, straight instant noodles nutrition to achieve a breakthrough in the past 40 years, it can be rehydrated in cold water, hot water also rehydration, but also boiled. Not long ago, the staple food series, series of non-staple food, soup, rice, canned drinks series and four project through the Department of General Logistics Department Quartermaster passed technical appraisal, there has been a high level of product, these items in the corresponding technical field, are given a major breakthrough, reached domestic leading level. Meanwhile, the army's development from the heater to get a larger breakthrough, heating efficiency reaches 90 years of U.S. military technology.
This phase is characterized: to carry out a high-calorie density, modular and functional food field studies; carry out self-heating field food research; conducted the first study basic varieties, the latter supporting the series combination, dining spectrum of , hot food of the field of food research, improve our military ration comprehensive support capabilities. This phase is under way, in about 2004. This stage in the packaging technology, soft canned production technology has been improved, as the basic varieties, a large field for all kinds of food; trial of a number of aluminum cans, when used in the highlands up cans physical encounter problems, limitations, in military use; easy open canned food into the military, to solve the long-standing "hard to open mouth delicious canned" problem; Some composite packaging materials in military food to get a lot of use, such as the use of self-heating cans insulation materials, dehydrated rice, dehydrated noodles rehydrated using boxes, and some utensils; to adapt to float, airdrop and other needs, the use of glass wool, foam materials.
Third, the development trend of military food packaging
1. Packers
Canned food is a military headed varieties. Canned long-term storage at room temperature, resistance to strong adverse external conditions. Canned food market in the current downturn, the army is still a soft spot. Canned divided according to their hardness of flexible packaging, rigid packaging, and between the intermediate semi-rigid packaging. From the development trend, these three packaging has on the military prospects.
① rigid packaging
Military food from hard-packed canned develop. Canned resistant to adverse external conditions hard and strong is a hard canning most important advantages. For example, mice no way for hard canned food, canned External Hard packaging requirements are lower, the impact during storage and transportation ability.
Hard canned according to the current situation army major in the field of collective food use in food or food in general use. Hard packers on future military trends are as follows:
a. EOE: As previously mentioned, there are open canned hard difficulty deficiencies. In recent years, there are a number of easy open ends into military food, such as diameter 90 mm and a diameter of 962 cans smaller pudding pot. But this can not meet the requirements of military canned. Because the military is the most used canned 100 mm diameter 1068 cans. For technical reasons, this large diameter easy open country does not pass. In addition, there are easy open ring pull easily broken, uneven groove depth technical issues. So, study hard, canned easy open cans of future military one of the main directions of development.
b. Shaped cans: U.S. Army T-rations is actually a rectangular flat cans, which uses materials are chrome-plated tin. Built-in food 3 kg. T ration is really two-piece can, by a bottom and a cover of two parts. Such cans either when cooking, or may be mounted on the fire steam table heating, insulation; also be used as tableware, Alternative disc-bowl, improved ease of use of military food. Meanwhile, it is also a storage container. Currently, the domestic production does not yet have such large rectangular cans capabilities. Its principal technical difficulty in sealing the rejection rate, resulting in high production costs, can not be applied.
c. Coating: Military canned shelf life of 3 years. Moreover, requires a sulfur, acid coating. At present, some military canned cans corrosion often occurs in the case.
② flexible packaging
Flexible packaging is hard canned canned developed on the basis of. Flexible packaging of the main problems is the ability to withstand adverse external conditions are poor, sealing canned sensitive than hard. Wrinkle fold foil packaging ability, the vacuum degree, the bags wrinkle prone pinholes generated. Furthermore, rodent is also an important issue.
Flexible packaging canned mainly based on the current situation in the military field food man food use. If the technology improved, there may be used a collective food. Canned soft packaging in the future to the following directions:
a. Foil bag: foil with good barrier properties, including gas and light. However, anti-crimping poor, in the case of wrinkles, aluminum prone to cracking and other issues. Combined with other materials to improve performance crease fold in one direction for future research.
b. Composite: By having high barrier properties, puncture resistance, high temperature and other composite materials, create new flexible packaging bags. Such bags than foil bag has a prominent advantage is that you can heat in the microwave, but the shading is poor, you need to take some measures to compensate.
c. Heat sealing layer: soft canned production, if the bag is contaminated, such as grease, sealing or not tight, or strength decreases, the problem a great impact on the speed of production, also have an impact on product quality,
Currently, experts are exploring the use of new heat seal layer, in the case of pollution by oil, there is still a good sealing strength. This technology breakthrough will have a significant impact on flexible packaging technology.
d. rodent: flexible canned bitten things often happen. Especially in combat conditions, the simple field warehouse storage field food especially. This severely limits the use of soft canned. Forward or by wrapping the strength, or the packaging material into mice not like the smell used to solve this problem.
e. natural degradation: In view of the requirements of environmental protection, the development of flexible packaging materials can be natural degradation.
③ semi-rigid packaging
Semi-rigid packaging is a new type of canned packaging materials. Since it is between hard and soft canned canned between, taking into account some of the advantages of both. Especially in the open than the hard and soft canned are better. Develop new types of semi-rigid material, canned, canned food will be the future direction of development of the military.
a. Plastic packaging: Some foreign military field use in food. If the butter, cream and some spices. Aluminum cans is a gas cans, due to vast area, there is a fairly large plateau, gas cans at high altitudes will produce physical fat listen. To make use of aluminum cans in the military, you must have the prospect to solve this problem.
b. Coextruded multilayer packaging material: This material with EVOH as deadening material that can withstand high temperature 121 ℃. As the plastic molding having excellent properties, therefore, it is easily made from a lattice, the top by a plastic composite material made of heat. In this way, a cartridge can have several varieties of food. This is difficult to do in metal cans. China has been the trial out of the packaging materials business, we are ready for the next test research in this area, this package should be the most promising. Moreover, in the civilian market will have a good development value.
2. Dry products packaging
Dried products at room temperature storability, many have adopted this form of military food. PLA packaging materials used in dry products more widely, such as tin, aluminum foil and composite packaging materials are used.
① oxygen barrier packaging
Military dried foods containing mostly fat, and some content is still relatively high, such as compression rations. Such foods affect the storage period is the most critical factor in fat oxidation. Therefore, these products must use oxygen deadening properties of a good package. According to the current situation packaging development, like tin listening, aluminum foil bags, multi-layer composite bags are used extensively in military food. In particular some dry products, like dehydrated rice, oil content is very low, but also very easy to produce rancid taste, packaging requirements for this product with the same high-fat products.
② impermeable and water vapor packaging
Some dry products itself has good storage properties such as dehydrated noodles. Such products as long as you can prevent the absorption of moisture long-term storage. Therefore, these products are used in packaging materials is relatively simple, the price is relatively cheap.
3. Edible packaging
Some advanced foreign armies are studying edible packaging. Such packages are commonly used in the packaging, on the one hand to reduce packaging weight and volume occupied, increasing edible parts of the food package, on the other hand can improve the ease of use, reduce contamination of food, such as dregs. Military stage of edible packaging few studies, but this will be a very promising research.
4. Combination packaging
Military food is usually caused by a variety of products are combined. If canned food, dry food with compression, there are spices and so on. These products according to certain nutritional composition into servings or daily servings of food packaging is used when a combination packaging. Depending on the use case, the combination of different materials used in packaging. Currently, as a combination of carton packaging materials, composite bags, plastic boxes, tin and so on. These materials, in providing protective properties of the premise, the most important principle is to reduce weight, and lower prices.
5. Protective packaging
Modern warfare on military food is ever increasing. As fast combat, mobility, requiring military food can withstand airdrop, parachute, can float on the water, can prevent all damage caused by the explosion of nuclear weapons and pollution. Currently used as protective packaging foam, glass wool.
Both materials can either float on the water, but also to better cushion the impact force airdrops. Research in this area needs to be further strengthened.
6. Insulation package
In order to improve military food sensory acceptance, the military has developed a self-heating can flameless heater. This heater can canned food center temperature is heated to about 60 ℃. In order to effectively improve the efficiency of the heating plate to prevent heat loss and prevent overheating burn the skin, you need to use insulation materials. The packaging material requirements, small size, good insulation effect.
7. Packaging
Military food packaging cartons are used now. Expected in the future may be combined with the protective packaging, resulting in cardboard and plastic composite packaging. Overall, the military food packaging will toward the light, can *, increased functionality, biodegradability and other direction.