The elements of a really good pizza are simple: toppings, crust, freshness. Arguably, the best sign of a good pizza is one that satisfies a craving, especially if that craving has been around for a couple of years. For soldiers in combat, that is how long it takes for some of them to take a bite of some fresh dough, and as io9 reports, pizza had long been requested by soldiers for their MREs, or meals ready to eat.
The U.S. Miltary listened to those requests and is soon hoping to launch a pizza that stays fresh for up to three years.
"Well, they call it the holy grail of ready-to-eat meals for soldiers in combat or in remote areas — it's a pizza that can stay on the shelf for three years and you can still eat it. Ugh." (Via WPLG)
"The latest prototype is like a typical pan pizza with a crust that's a little moist and not super crispy. Sounds good, right?" (Via WTOC)
But apparently it wasn't an easy process. Military1 quotes one of the researchers saying: "When you combine all of these ingredients, they all have different characteristics. Sauce has more water than dough, so if you put a sauce on a dough and it has too much moisture, the moisture is going to migrate to the dough, making it very soggy."
As RT reports, to overcome some of those problems, the research team at Natick Army Labs in Massachusetts turned to water-binding ingredients, adjusted the acidity of the sauce to decrease bacterial growth, and added iron fillings to the MRE pouches to absorb excess air. (Via Wikimedia Commons / Neutrality)
The result is a superslice that can last up to three years in temperatures as high as 80 degrees. (Via KDFW)
Of course, the pizza experience wouldn't be complete without delivery — but it appears the Army's got that covered, too. "These may be airdropped by parachute in remote locations, or they may be dropped from a helicopter from an altitude of 50 feet without a parachute," a public affairs officer with the Department of Defense Combat Feeding Directorate says to WBUR.
The military is hoping the pizza MREs will give soldiers a taste of home while simultaneously boosting morale. Field testing of the meals begins in August.
