Title: Development Trend of Military Food Packaging
Author: 3 Publication Date: 2002-8-5 11:11:20 Reply | Modify | Delete
He Jinfeng, General Logistics Military Equipment Research Institute
Military food is an important field of food research. Due to the special use of military food, the technical indicators of military food in terms of processing technology, nutrition and packaging are more advanced than civilian food. Many civilian foods are transformed from military technology. This article briefly introduces the history of the development of military food, and makes a simple prediction on the development trend of military food packaging based on the current status of military food.
1. The development history of military food
1. Military food definition: a general term for various types of food produced and supplied according to the technical standards stipulated by the military. This concept tells us that food that is not consumed by the military is military food, and it has specific technical and tactical requirements. For example, it requires small size, light weight, easy to carry and eat, reasonable nutritional structure, good palatability, easy digestion and absorption, safety and hygiene, and storage resistance. Here we can quantify it, for example, the weight requirement should be less than 1,000 grams per meal, the storage requirement should be more than 2 years, and it should be ready-to-eat in the wild environment, etc.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army's military food is divided into four categories: field food, voyage food, life-saving food and general food. As the name suggests, military food has different requirements depending on the occasion. The product forms of military food mainly include dehydrated food and canned food. At present, some medium-moisture foods have improved their shelf life through fence technology and packaging technology, and have begun to enter the field of military food.
2. Military food research definition: scientific research activities to develop and improve military food. It is an integral part of military research. Its main task is to use scientific methods to develop convenient, delicious, safe, hygienic and nutritious standard foods that are needed by various military personnel in war environments or emergency situations.
Military food research can be traced back to 1790. At that time, the French army, led by Napoleon, often fought far away from homeland. The long front line made the supply of supplies acute, and the food spoiled before it reached the front line. To this end, the French army was established with J. -L. Guy Lussac and other scientists were members of the Military Food Research Committee. In 1810, France N. The food canning method invented by Appel was an important result of early military food research. Over the next 100 years, the development of food science, nutrition, and the discovery of vitamins laid a theoretical foundation for military food research. During World War II, U.S. military food research became serialized. For example, research on general, special and life-saving food can be carried out according to different combat environments; research on individual soldiers and collective food can be carried out according to the number of people supplied. From 1941 to 1945, the US military developed 23 kinds of food, among which the famous ones were D ration blocks, C rations for emergency use, and K rations for paratroopers and tank soldiers. In 1957, the US military began research on using flexible packaging to replace tinplate packaging materials. In 1978, it successfully developed a retort bag that can store food for a long time. This was a breakthrough in packaging materials and packaging technology for military food research. In 1978, the US military's military food research started from the need to ensure hot food on the battlefield and began to develop military food that could be easily heated under mobile combat conditions. In 1982, it successfully developed a new generation of collective rations, T-1 ration. After 1988, the US military began to carry out research on military food under combat conditions in the 21st century, focusing on the development of military food with high caloric density, optimal nutritional composition, continuous edible properties and modular ingredients.
From the perspective of the development history of military food, canning technology was born due to military needs. In this process, the development of packaging from glass bottles, tinplate to flexible packaging was first used in the military and then gradually converted into civilian products.
3. The main contents of military food research
Military food processing. This includes studying and determining the required raw and auxiliary materials, containers, production techniques (including canning, drying, irradiation, compression, vacuum infiltration, etc.), processing techniques, and anti-corrosion and antioxidant technologies. Military food nutritional properties and functions. Study the nutritional needs and health care needs of various types of people in different environments. Includes nutrition of food combinations such as meal recipes, meal portions and daily portions.
Military food packaging materials and packaging technology. The packaging of military food should meet the requirements for storage, carrying, and transportation.
Packaging materials should be resistant to tearing, brittleness, and impact; resistant to punctures, abrasions, and high or low temperatures; barrier to water, vapor, and gas; resistant to mildew, insects, and grease rancidity; and adaptable to airdrops and floating Required; can prevent neutron damage and chemical poisons. At present, tinplate, plastic film, multi-layer composite film, etc. are commonly used.
Changes in military food during storage and transportation.
Military food additives. Including antioxidants, preservatives, antifungal agents, biologically active substances, and flavor substances.
Special properties of military food. Including sensory receptivity, nutritional function, carrying and transportation properties. For example, military food usually takes days or meals as the basic unit, provides heat energy according to the dietary needs of various combatants in different combat environments, and emphasizes the balance of nutrients such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, and vitamins in the food. Some occasions require military food to have anti-fatigue, anti-hypoxia, anti-cold, anti-radiation, mobilize fat, and enhance physical fitness.
Methods for identifying the quality and functionality of military foods. Including physical, chemical and sensory evaluation methods.
4. Characteristics of military food research
Emphasis on military benefits. In order to achieve the performance, technical and tactical indicators of military food, military food research must comprehensively use various processes and technologies. Such as compression technology to facilitate the carrying of military food; canning technology, drying technology, irradiation technology, vacuum penetration technology, etc. for military food processing; anti-corrosion, antioxidant technology and packaging technology used to improve storage resistance; to improve acceptance Self-heating technology and technology for adding biologically active substances are used.
Pay attention to nutritional balance. Military food generally consists of daily portions or meal portions as the basic unit. It is not only a simple hunger supplement, but also a necessity for military personnel to survive and maintain their physical strength in combat environments. It should be able to solve the nutrition and acceptance problems of those who rely on it for long-term survival. It should be nutritious, comprehensive, and able to Prevents vitamin deficiencies and maintains the physical strength and energy of all types of combatants.
2. A brief history of the development of our army’s field food
1. The first stage (1949~1976)
Before 1949, the Chinese People's Liberation Army did not have standard military food. After liberation, military food development began, and supply began during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. Due to the conditions at that time, there were few varieties developed, the taste was simple, it was not resistant to storage, and it was easy to deteriorate. The Institute of Health and Nutrition of the Academy of Military Medical Sciences studied quick-cooked rice and instant noodles in 1953, and supplied canned non-staple food. In 1958, the General Logistics Department and the Shanghai Food Industry Research Institute jointly developed compressed sweet and salty biscuits, multigrain biscuits, and compressed broad beans. Four kinds of dry food such as cake and corn lamb.
During the period of aiding Vietnam and resisting the United States, 701 and 702 compressed dry rations were developed.
The main results of this phase of research are 701 and 702 compressed dry food. Since it is a dry product, it uses an iron barrel with an embedded cover, which is filled with nitrogen and soldered. Cans are mainly tinplate hard cans.
2． The second stage (1976~1982)
From 1976 to 1982, our army developed three staple foods (761 compressed dry food, dehydrated noodles, dehydrated rice) and three non-staple foods (canned lunch meat, stir-fried meat) A new type of food consisting of assorted cans, canned diced meat with sauce), and named this the first generation of field food.
The main characteristics of this stage of research: Military food began to consider the combination of staple and non-staple food, but it did not form meal portions. Dehydrated rice and dehydrated noodles have not been equipped with troops due to technical problems. There is no major breakthrough in packaging at this stage, and the packaging materials of stage 1 are basically used.
3. The third stage (1983~1994)
From 1983 to 1986, our army began to develop second-generation field food. It consists of ordinary individual soldier food, ordinary collective food, border patrol food and tank soldier food. Due to some constraints at the time, no equipment was ultimately developed.
After 1986, our institute developed special food for border patrols of plateau troops (861 individual soldier rations), scout food, ground service series field food, 90 compressed dry food, 94 dehydrated rice, and military canned vegetables. developed. Among them, dehydrated rice, Luqin series field food, and 90% compressed dry food have been used respectively.
The main characteristics of this stage: in terms of composition, it consists of meal food, daily food, individual food and collective food; in terms of nutrition, caloric indicators and nutrient ratio indicators are proposed; at the same time , the navy and air force also developed food for long voyages, life-saving food and food for airborne troops.
At this stage, soft packaging materials were used for canned packaging, and multi-layer composite materials with barrier properties were used for the storage of dry products, such as dehydrated rice. Due to the particularity of soft can production technology, problems such as contamination of the sealing area and high breakage rate occur during the production process. There are also some problems in the selected varieties.
4. Phase 4 (1995~)
Our army carried out the research and development of high-energy field rations, sea-crossing landing combat food, plateau mountain field food and a new generation of field food based on three series of staple food, non-staple food and soup and beverages. Research.
High-energy field rations used functional substances in field food for the first time, sea-crossing field food used self-heating devices for the first time, and straight nutritious instant noodles achieved a breakthrough in 40 years and can be reconstituted in cold water. Water, also rehydrated in hot water, can also be boiled. Not long ago, four items including staple food series, non-staple food series, soup beverage series and canned rice porridge passed the technical appraisal passed by the General Logistics and Military Supplies Department, and a number of high-level products emerged. These items have all obtained certification in the corresponding technical fields. It has made a major breakthrough and reached the domestic leading level. At the same time, our army has made major breakthroughs in the development of self-heaters, and its heating efficiency has reached the technical level of the US military in the 1990s.
Characteristics of this stage: Carry out research on high-calorie density, modular and functional field food; Carry out research on self-heating field food; Carry out research on basic varieties first, and then carry out combinations and matching Research on serialized, recipe-based, and hot-food field foods will improve the comprehensive support capabilities of our army’s field foods. This phase is ongoing and will be completed around 2004. In terms of packaging technology at this stage, the production technology of soft cans has been improved. As a basic variety, it is widely used in various field foods; a batch of aluminum-plastic cans were tried out, but they encountered the problem of physical expansion of the cans when used on the plateau, which restricted have been used in the military; cans with easy-open lids have entered military food, solving the long-standing problem of "cans that are delicious and difficult to open"; some composite packaging materials have been widely used in military food, such as those used in self-heating cans Insulation materials, rehydration boxes for dehydrated rice and dehydrated noodles, and some tableware; in order to meet the needs of floating, airdrop, etc., glass wool, foam materials, etc. are used.
3. Development trends of military food packaging
1. Canned packaging Canned food is the leading variety of military food. Cans can be stored at room temperature for a long time and are highly resistant to adverse external conditions. In the current slump in the canned food market, the military still has a soft spot for it. Can packaging is divided into flexible packaging, rigid packaging and semi-rigid packaging in between according to its hardness. From the perspective of development trends, these three types of packaging all have development prospects in military use.
①Hard packaging
Military food was developed from hard packaging cans. The most important advantage of hard cans is their ability to withstand adverse external conditions. For example, rats are helpless against hard cans, which have lower packaging requirements and are more resistant to impact during storage and transportation.
Based on the current situation of the army, hard cans are mainly used in collective food in field food, or in general food. The future development trends of hard can packaging for military use are as follows:
a. Easy-open lid: As mentioned before, hard cans have the disadvantage of being difficult to open. In recent years, a batch of easy-open lids have been introduced into military food, such as 962 cans with a diameter of 90 mm and eight-treasure porridge cans with a smaller diameter. But this still cannot meet the requirements of military cans. Because the most commonly used military cans are 1068 cans with a diameter of 100 mm. Due to technical reasons, such large-diameter easy-open lids are not acceptable in China. In addition, easy-open lids also have technical problems such as easy breakage of the pull tab and uneven depth of the engraved line. Therefore, studying hard cans with easy-open lids is one of the main directions for the development of military cans in the future.
b. Special-shaped cans: The US military’s T rations are actually a rectangular flat can made of chrome-plated tinplate. Contains 3kg of food. The T ration is actually a two-piece can, consisting of a bottom and a lid. This kind of can can be used as a cooking utensil and can be placed on a fire or on a steam table for heating and heat preservation; it can also be used as tableware to replace dishes and bowls, which improves the convenience of military food. At the same time, it is also a storage container. At present, the country does not have the ability to produce such large rectangular cans. Its technical difficulty is mainly due to the high scrap rate during sealing, which leads to high production costs and cannot be applied.
c. Coating: The shelf life of military cans is more than 3 years. Moreover, coatings that are resistant to sulfur and acid are required.
At present, some military cans often suffer from corrosion.
②Soft packaging
Soft packaging cans are developed on the basis of hard cans. The main problem with flexible packaging is its poor ability to withstand adverse external conditions, and its sealing is more susceptible to damage than hard cans. Aluminum foil packaging has poor anti-wrinkle ability. When the vacuum degree is high, the wrinkles produced in the bag are prone to pinholes. In addition, rodent prevention is also an important issue.
According to the current situation of the army, flexible packaging cans are mainly used in field food for individual soldiers. If the technology is improved, it may also be used for collective food. Soft can packaging will develop in the following directions in the future:
a. Aluminum foil bags: Aluminum foil has good barrier properties, including against gas and light. However, its anti-wrinkle ability is poor. In the case of wrinkles, aluminum foil is prone to breakage and other problems. Improving the anti-wrinkle performance by compounding with other materials is a direction for future research.
b. Composite materials: Create new flexible packaging bags by combining materials with high barrier properties, puncture resistance, and high temperature resistance. This kind of bag has an outstanding advantage over aluminum foil bags, that is, it can be heated in microwaves, but its light-shielding properties are poor, and some measures need to be taken to make up for it.
c. Heat sealing layer: In the production of soft cans, if the bag mouth is contaminated, such as oil stains, the sealing may not be tight or the strength will be reduced. This problem will have a great impact on the production speed and product quality.
Currently , Relevant experts are exploring the use of new heat sealing layers that still have good sealing strength even when contaminated by oil stains. This technological breakthrough will have a significant impact on flexible packaging technology.
d. Rat-proof: Flexible packaging cans are often bitten by rats. This is especially true for field food stored in simple field warehouses under combat conditions. This situation severely limits the use of soft cans. In the future, this problem may be solved through the strength of the packaging materials or the use of odors that mice do not like in the packaging materials.
e. Natural degradation: In view of environmental protection requirements, develop flexible packaging materials that can naturally degrade.
③Semi-rigid packaging
Semi-rigid packaging is a new type of can packaging material. Since it is between hard cans and soft cans, it takes into account some of the advantages of both. Especially in terms of opening, it is better than both hard and soft cans. The development of new semi-hard can materials will be one of the future development directions of military cans.
a. Aluminum-plastic packaging: used in some field foods of foreign armies. Such as jam, cream and some condiments. Aluminum-plastic cans are a kind of gas-containing cans. Since my country has a vast territory and a large plateau, gas-containing cans will produce physical fat in high-altitude areas. In order for aluminum-plastic cans to be used in our military, this problem must be solved to have a bright future.
b. Multi-layer material extrusion packaging: This material uses EVOH as a barrier material and can withstand high temperatures of 121°C. Since plastic has good molding properties, it can be easily made into a grid shape, and the top is heat-sealed with a plastic composite material. This way, you can have several meal varieties in one box. This is difficult to achieve with metal cans. Domestic companies have trial-produced this kind of packaging material. We are planning to conduct experimental research in this area in the future. This kind of packaging should have the most development prospects. Moreover, it will have good development value in the civilian market.
2． Dried product packaging
Dried products are durable in storage at room temperature, so many military foods use this form. Our military’s dry products packaging uses a wide range of materials, such as tinplate, aluminum foil and composite packaging materials.
①Oxygen-insulated packaging
Most military dry foods contain fat, and some have relatively high contents, such as compressed dry food. The most critical factor affecting the storage period of this type of food is fat oxidation. Therefore, such products must be packaged with good oxygen barrier properties. According to the current development of packaging, tinplate cans, aluminum foil packaging bags, and multi-layer composite bags will be widely used in military food. It is particularly pointed out that some dry products, such as dehydrated rice, have very low oil content, but are also very easy to produce a havoc smell. The packaging requirements for such products are the same as those for high-fat products.
②Waterproof and water vapor packaging
Some dried products themselves have better storage properties, such as dehydrated noodles. This product can be stored for long periods of time as long as it is prevented from absorbing moisture. Therefore, the packaging materials used for such products are relatively simple and the price is relatively cheap.
3. Edible packaging
Some advanced foreign militaries are studying edible packaging.
This kind of packaging is often used for inner packaging. On the one hand, it can reduce the volume and mass occupied by the packaging and increase the edible part of the whole set of food. On the other hand, it can improve the convenience of use and reduce food contamination, residue, etc. Our military currently has less research on edible packaging, but this will be a research content with great development prospects.
4. Combination packaging
Military food is usually a combination of multiple products. If there are canned food, compressed dry food, seasonings, etc. The packaging used when these products are combined into meal portions or daily foods according to certain nutritional ingredients is combination packaging. Depending on the use occasion, the materials used in the combined packaging are different. At present, the materials used for combined packaging include cartons, composite bags, plastic boxes, tinplate, etc. On the premise of providing protective properties, the most important principles of these materials are to reduce weight and price.
5. Protective packaging
Modern warfare has continuously increasing requirements for military food. Due to the rapidity and mobility of combat, military food is required to withstand airdrops and parachute drops, float on the water, and prevent damage and pollution caused by the explosion of various nuclear weapons. Currently, foam plastics, glass wool, etc. are used as protective packaging.
These two materials can not only float on the water, but also better cushion the impact caused by airdrops. Research in this area needs to be further strengthened.
6． Insulation packaging
In order to improve the sensory acceptability of military food, the military has developed a self-heating flameless heater. This kind of heater can heat the core temperature of canned food to about 60℃. In order to effectively improve the efficiency of the heating plate, prevent heat loss, and prevent excessive temperature from scalding the skin, thermal insulation materials are required. This kind of packaging material requires small size and good heat insulation effect.
7. Outer packaging
The outer packaging of military food now uses cartons. It is expected that in the future it may be combined with protective packaging to produce outer packaging composed of cardboard and plastic.
In general, military food packaging will develop in the direction of being lightweight, reliable, increasing functionality, and biodegradable.