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US Military Creates Indestructible Sandwich

Posted by michael on from the your-tax-dollars-at-work dept.

Spudley writes "They're capable of surviving airdrops and extreme climates, and able to stay fresh for over 3 years, and the US military wants them to supplement their existing battlefield rations. The article predicts they'll eventually make it to the grocery store too. Apparently, soldiers who tried the pepperoni and barbecue-chicken pocket sandwiches have found them "acceptable"."

28 of 71 comments (clear)

  1. Only "acceptable". by Matthias+Wiesmann · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Soldier talking to the media tend to be very positive about stuff comming from their side - or be in trouble.

    Most food I ate in the military was officially considerd delicious (edible if you are hungry) or very good (tastes like dog food). If they told the press that the food is acceptable, I cannot fathom how disgusting this must be... shudder.

    1. Re:Only "acceptable". by zangdesign · · Score: 2

      Can't comment on MRE's, but as the grandchild of a military officer, I have eaten at both the Officer's Mess Hall and the Enlisted Mess Hall and found the food to be pretty good. Kinda high in fat and cholesterol, but not bad at all.

      --
      To celebrate the occasion of my 1000th post, I will post no more forever on Slashdot. Goodbye.
    2. Re:Only "acceptable". by elfkicker · · Score: 2

      Peer pressure bring on a new profoundness when everyone around you has an M16.

      Considering the requirement for an MRE, I'd say the ones I've eaten were pretty good. Definately not great, but either is alot of the crap I pull out of my microwave.

      I'd just be concerned about the "sachets of oxygen-scavenging chemicals". I know they will say DO NOT EAT, but you just know some fool will think it's salt and then asphyxiate on his own blood supply.

      Besides, isnt this just a Hot Pocket (yummmm) jammed with preservatives?

    3. Re:Only "acceptable". by Sivar · · Score: 2

      That is incorrect. I am a soldier and ahve spoken with the press a few times; nothing about "what to say" was ever mentioned to me and some comments that I made, which were not positive, were never mentioned by anyone else. The military prefers "impressing civilians" by being very good at D&C (Drill & Ceremony), meaning everything related to being in a formation (a group of soldiers organized in columns and rows.)
      I doubt it works. I personally wouldn't particularly care if someone was marching out of step with everyone else.

      --
      Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes. --E. W. Dijkstra
  2. "Acceptable" eh? by reaper20 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Scientist - "So, how do you like these new sandwiches?"
    Tired Grunt - "These taste like absolute shit, the only reason I'm eating this is because I haven't eaten all day and I'm hungry as hell."

    Scientist jots down "acceptable".

  3. I think somebody beat them to it... by GTRacer · · Score: 2
    Have you ever had Waffle House's sausage & egg?

    GTRacer
    - Egg McMuffilicious!

    --
    Defending IP by destroying access to it? That makes sense, RIAA/MPAA. Go to the corner until you can play nice!
  4. Do you realize what this means? by RobKow · · Score: 2, Funny

    Safer food!

    Ahh, leave it to Monty Python to predict this 30 years ago!

    http://www.montypython.net/scripts/cycling.php

  5. That's good because... by MarkusQ · · Score: 4, Funny

    ....sandwiches that stay fresh up to three years...

    This is good news because it isn't that good for you to subsist on nothing but Twinkies.

    --MarkusQ

  6. MRE not that bad by MarkusQ · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I haven't found MREs to be all that objectionable. The thing to remember is that you don't eat them when you're staying in a five star hotel, just as you wouldn't sleep on the ground or catch rain water to drink. Conversely, you don't haul an espresso machine and a queen sized bed on your back for fifty miles just so you'll have "all the comforts" at the end of the day.

    If you think in terms of food quality per Kg hauled (and remember that it's frequently you that's going to be doing the hauling), MREs are great--much better than trying to scrounge for twigs and berries, or going hungry.

    --MarkusQ

    1. Re:MRE not that bad by MarkusQ · · Score: 4, Funny

      Why not eat your enemies it would give you incentive to kill kill kill !!!

      Well, for one thing, you'd still have to carry in all the condements, etc. For another, most of my enemies aren't backpackers, so I'd have to haul them in too. And lastly, given what I think most of them are full of, I'm not sure I'd like the taste.

      MREs seem a lot easier and more appitizing.

      -- MarkusQ

    2. Re:MRE not that bad by Rorschach1 · · Score: 3, Informative

      The ham slice is just plain nasty, though. Every one I've had has somehow managed to be totally dry, despite soaking in a packet of juice.

      Chicken a la king is pretty good. Smells a bit like dog food, but oh well. The vacuum-sealed crackers are great with the peanut butter.

      The freeze-dried peaches, on the other hand, should be kept around for packing fragile items for shipping.

  7. Have to Wonder by 4of12 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "They're capable of surviving airdrops and extreme climates, and able to stay fresh for over 3 years, and the US military wants them to supplement their existing battlefield rations. The article predicts they'll eventually make it to the grocery store too. Apparently, soldiers who tried the pepperoni and barbecue-chicken pocket sandwiches have found them "acceptable"."

    So if they're capable of surviving all that trauma and still able to "keep fresh", I have to wonder if they're not too durable.

    Like, for example, if, after being eaten, the chewed up sandwich comes out the other end looking essentially the same as when it went down the esophagous.

    My guideline: if bugs and bacteria don't like to eat something, then it's probably not meant for human consumption, either.

    --
    "Provided by the management for your protection."
    1. Re:Have to Wonder by slashdot_commentator · · Score: 2


      You're too paranoid. What gives MRE's its storage life is not a bath of chemicals; its a very simple technique. The food is sealed in airtight packets with residual oxygen is removed. The packets are sturdy metal alloy interiors with plastic exteriors. They don't leak, and are near impossible to unintentionally puncture. No oxygen in the packet, no oxygen can get in, food can't decompose.

      --
      There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM and AT&T and DuPont, Dow, General Electric, and Exxon
    2. Re:Have to Wonder by pmz · · Score: 3, Informative

      Without oxygen, anaerobic bacteria, such as those that cause botulism, can still grow. Chemicals will still be needed, unless the food can be guaranteed sterile when packaged.

      --
      Healthcare article at Kuro5hin
  8. Define "Fresh" by Jester998 · · Score: 2

    "able to stay fresh for over 3 years"

    I'm assuming the term "fresh" is used only relative to the current rations, and not to, say, fresh pizza?

    1. Re:Define "Fresh" by slashdot_commentator · · Score: 2


      Actually, the context for "fresh" is consistent acceptable taste. If properly stored, and MRE can last 7 years and still keep its same edible consistency. If you had to, you could probably eat MREs older than 7 years, they just won't taste right.

      --
      There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM and AT&T and DuPont, Dow, General Electric, and Exxon
    2. Re:Define "Fresh" by the_consumer · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Some friends of mine and I once bought a big tin can of rations from the Korean War. We opened up the can, there was a woosh as air filled the vacuated space inside, and pulled out a few of the rations. They were like graham crackers. We ate them driving home. This was about 10 years ago, so the rations were almost 40 years old at the time. Not great eating, pretty bland, but edible.

      --
      "If you're thinking what I'm thinking, you're right." -
  9. I _like_ MREs by jfengel · · Score: 5, Informative

    I am not a soldier, but I find MREs wonderful for certain kinds of activity (long bike rides, a few days' camping). They're vastly preferable to freeze-dried food (which are still lighter, since they have no water, and are the only option for long-term use unless you want live off the land.)

    You don't eat 'em until you're hungry, and then they're very filling, which is all you want. And they don't taste nearly as bad as the jokes I've read so far here. They're actually quite tasty. Hardly haute cuisine, but at least as good as most American fast food. That may not seem like praise, but you've seen the numbers in which people scarf that up.

    The single coolest thing about them is the heater packs. They come with bags containing a sheet of some chemical which reacts with water to give off a LOT of heat (and hydrogen gas). They're capable of taking food from frozen to too-hot-to-eat in a few minutes, without building a fire. Nothing makes a cold, miserable person happier faster than hot food.

    The second coolest thing is the mini-bottles of Tabasco sauce.

    1. Re:I _like_ MREs by HorsePunchKid · · Score: 2

      My brother's been in the National Guard for a couple years now, so all I know about current MREs comes from him. Basically, the problem is that if you live on them for weeks or months at a time, you get sick of them. The only way to make them worth eating is to put tabasco sauce on everything, he says, and apparently it's a pretty standard thing to do. So take that for what it's worth. I had one MRE years ago that a friend in the Guard gave to my brother and me, and didn't think it was that bland, but I imagine it may have seemed a lot more exciting as a kid :).

      --
      Steven N. Severinghaus
  10. Nothing like firsthand experience. by slashdot_commentator · · Score: 3, Informative

    You can try ordering from this company: Longlifefood.com

    The "variety pack is roughly $20 USD. Another must buy is a pack of chemical heaters. They look like a plastic bag with flat, metal brillo pad. Stick in the the MRE, put in a little water, and boy does that package get hot! Shipping costs are bundled into the price of each item, and the company puts a 20% discount on the final price. They end up costing slightly more than a TV dinner, and they taste about as good as one. They don't need refrigeration and are great for extended camping trips.

    --
    There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM and AT&T and DuPont, Dow, General Electric, and Exxon
    1. Re:Nothing like firsthand experience. by Alsee · · Score: 2

      The color scheme on that website is acceptable. While it might not be particularly appealing, if you need the information badly enough the text is completely edib... err, I mean legible. It's not nearly as bad as some of the other sites I've seen out there.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  11. Re:Waffle house by GTRacer · · Score: 2
    Actually, I like most of their food. I was just ripping on them a little because their employees suck. No smoking means no smoking for everybody, dammit! That and they tend to be less than helpful late at night except at the bigger restaurants...

    GTRacer
    - Chicken-fried steak and gravy is good!

    --
    Defending IP by destroying access to it? That makes sense, RIAA/MPAA. Go to the corner until you can play nice!
  12. Fifteen cents a pack?! by TWX_the_Linux_Zealot · · Score: 2

    I find them for less than eight cents a pack, and if they're at ten, they're friggin' expensive!

    --

    IBM had PL/1, with syntax worse than JOSS,
    And everywhere the language went, it was a total loss...
  13. English Pub Food by Detritus · · Score: 2

    I think I've already seen the indestructible sandwich, in an English pub. I made the mistake of buying one. It tasted like left-over emergency rations from World War II.

    --
    Mea navis aericumbens anguillis abundat
    1. Re:English Pub Food by fantomas · · Score: 2

      nah, probably sold off from British Rail....

  14. Re:Indestructible ? by Debillitatus · · Score: 2

    2*(sandwich)*c^2

    --

    Come on, give it up, that's

  15. Re:Indestructible ? by J.+J.+Ramsey · · Score: 2

    A big mess?

  16. British Rail by martin · · Score: 2

    The now defunct British Rail invented these years ago.

    Now used a ballast under the tracks :-)