On April 29th the Latvian military website Sargs.Lv reported that a ‘food tasting’ took place at the Latvian National Defence Academy for new National Armed Forces (NAF) rations. This saw the taste-testing and evaluation of lightweight, long-lasting and nutritious freeze-dried meals.
Sargs says that the new food prototypes were created in collaboration between the company “Roga Agro” and the Institute of Food of the Latvian University of Biosciences and Technology (LBTU). Activities are taking place within the framework of a grant supported by the Ministry of Defence.
Brigadier General Kaspars Zdanovskis, Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff of the Latvian Armed Forces for Support Issues was quoted as saying:
“We live in an era when war is happening right next door. Russia, as an aggressor, is destroying the Ukrainian population, infrastructure and our fellow soldiers every day…This is a time when we need to develop not only kinetic, but also support capabilities. And food is one of the three critical ones – along with ammunition and fuel,”
Zdanovskis pointed out that the current dry rations used by Latvia’s armed forces is already of sufficient quality and taste, but one weak point remains: its expiration date. It’s reported that the new freeze-dried meals have a potential shelf life of up to 8–10 years.
This would allow the NAF to build significantly larger stocks and improve its response capabilities in times of crisis.
The current main meal, not dehydrated or freeze-dried, is the heaviest part of the package. While it’s edible right out of the package, it can be warmed up using a heat pack which is activated by chemical reaction that occurs when water is added – something fairly common with military field rations.
Sandra Muižniece-Brasava, a professor at the Institute of Food Science at LBTU, stated:
“We see this project as a success story – science and business working together to create practical and high-quality solutions,”
She pointed out that the meals were developed with dual use in mind – both for military needs and the civilian market.
So what was presented at the April 29th tasting? Well, soldiers were offered 14 different meals, of which three were vegetarian. We couldn’t find a full list but our understanding is that these meals will be military-adaptations of the already-commercially-available products under the brand Good Mood Meals.
It was stated, however, that additional work is still planned for the military version – adapting it to have a higher calorie count and higher protein content. But it’s safe to say that meals found on the company’s website are more or less the types of meals soldiers can expect to eat in the field in the near future.
We already mentioned the expected advantages of these new rations: They are to be lighter weight than existing rations while ALSO having a longer shelf life. This is achieved in a process called Lyophilization (or sublimation) – which is more commonly known as freeze-drying.
The product is initially prepared as a complete meal, then frozen to -40°C. It’s then “lyophilized” in a vacuum and later dehydrated further to eliminate any residual moisture. It is said that this process retains up to 97% of nutrients. Aroma and texture is also said to be maintained throughout this preservation process.
“This process preserves both the structure of the product, as well as the nuances of taste and valuable substances that we often lose during conventional heat treatment,”
Sargs.LV says that, to prepare a freeze-dried meal, you need to open the package, remove the oxygen absorber, and then pour in the amount of hot water indicated on the package. Mix the meal thoroughly, close the package with a special closure and leave for 10-15 minutes. If hot water is not available, it is possible to use cold water, but in this case the taste quality may be lower. The meal would be safe to consume… but to fully enjoy the taste, it’s of course recommended to use hot water.
Overall, it was reported that the mood was positive – and both the soldiers of the Land Forces Mechanized Infantry Brigade and the Navy acknowledged that the food was surprisingly tasty, with some even stating that it surpassed the previous rations! The only criticism mentioned was the practicality of quickly sourcing hot water in field conditions in the forest.
