FOOD OF THE WEEK: EVER-LASTING PIZZA
by Hazed
In response to requests from US soldiers, a military lab has devised a pepperoni pizza that is still edible after three years.
MREs (meals ready to eat) are the kits which are used in combat zones or other areas where field kitchens can’t be set up. They replaced canned food back in 1981, but soldiers have been asking for pizzas to be included in the range ever since. The problem is that traditional pizzas don’t keep: the moisture in the tomato sauce and other toppings turns the dough soggy over time, which encourages mold and bacteria to grow.
Now scientists have figured out how to stop the moisture from migrating into the dough by using ingredients called humectants (such as sugar, salt and syrups) which bind to the water and stop it from getting to the dough. They also tinkered with the acidity of the toppings and the dough, to make it harder for bacteria to thrive. Then by adding iron filings to the package, they can ensure any air remaining in the pouch in absorbed. Result: the pizza is good to eat up to three years later, even in temperatures of 80 degrees F.
But how good are they to eat? Well they are a little moist and not very crispy, with a texture similar to the pan pizzas you’d make at home in a toaster oven. The difference is that you eat them at room temperature. A bit like the cold pizza you eat the morning after the night before…
Source: http://io9.com/the-u-s-military-has-developed-a-pizza-that-stays-edib-1522775559
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-26255153
