Mil-Log 
AUSA Winter 2010: Decision time near for MAPS
In addition to their work with new ethylene destruction technologies to extend the shelf life of fresh produce (see 'West 2010 Logistics Spotlight' in the next issue of MLI), developers at the US Army Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) are exploring other methods to enhance food quality for today’s warfighters. NSRDEC representatives utilised this week’s Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Winter Symposium to highlight the possibilities of a new Modified Atmosphere Packaging System (MAPS).
'Our new ethylene destruction systems basically take the ethylene gas through a UV system and turns it into carbon dioxide and water,' explains Gerald Darsch, director of US Department of Defense combat feeding directorate. 'That’s proven to be very beneficial. But we also have another system that kind of accomplishes the same thing: extending the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables.'
'Most warfighters in a forward operating base rarely, if ever, see high quality fresh fruits and vegetables,' he continues. 'They probably see some ‘hardy fruits,’ like apples, but by and large they won’t see bananas. They probably won’t see romaine lettuce or broccoli.'
One of many ongoing NSRDEC food initiatives involves the development of what Darsch describes as 'a smart label,' also known as Modified Atmosphere Packaging, developed by California-based Apio.
'They really pioneered this technology,' he adds. 'We saw the value of the technology when they were just beginning to mature it and we actually began the effort under a rapid technology transition programme for the United States Navy.'
'There’s actually a hole in the bag that you use for your fresh fruits and vegetables,' he notes. 'The hole is then covered with a label that is smart enough to modify and control the atmosphere within the package. It creates the optimum level of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the package to allow that fruit or vegetable to respire much longer, rather than suffocate, or be over-oxygenated. And it also is smart enough so that if the temperature were to fluctuate seven degrees up or down, the label with adjust itself to adjust for the increase or decrease in respiration.'
He adds, 'The “So what?” of this is that we are seeing the shelf life extension of certain fruits and vegetables not by 2 percent or 3 percent but we are talking a 100, 200, or 300 percent shelf life increase, which means that a warfighter in the most forward operating base will now have an opportunity in the very near future to actually get something in addition to hardy fruit like apples – like lettuce or bananas.'
According to Darsch, early testing took place aboard the aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan and USS Harry S. Truman.
'We just wrapped up another test in the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia – Pacific, where we were actually able to work with a shipper in San Diego and put some of these Modified Atmosphere Packaged broccoli, romaine [lettuce] and iceberg [lettuce] into a shipping container and ship it from San Diego to Guam. Then we sent a team to Guam to look at these products as they arrived in Guam and were pushed forward. They tracked those products for about 39 days and looked at case yields on the MAP product and the control product, as well as freshness ratings, which were assigned by cooks in dining facilities as well as at the point of entry in Guam.'
Darsch characterises the resulting data as showing 'that the MAPS product can last, even ‘gassed’ product that leaves the Port of San Diego to Guam, and it’s looking to be very positive and very beneficial.'
'We want to take the lessons learned, do a good after action report, and we will actually be briefing the Army G4, Lieutenant General Stevenson, tomorrow [25 February], giving him information for our senior leader to make a decision in terms of our path forward,' he observes. 'There will be a path forward. It just may involve a follow-on test with [US Army Europe] to really challenge the logistics chain as we go in the opposite direction.'
By Scott R. Gourley, Fort Lauderdale
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