US Army invents a sandwich that lasts 3 years

The Straits Times ^ | APRIL 12, 2002 FRI

[Tai_Chung]

PARIS - The US military has devised the world's first ''indestructible sandwich'' - designed to survive airdrops and extreme temperatures and still be edible several years later.

Experts at the US Army Soldier Systems Centre in Natick, Massachusetts, came up with the sandwich as a means of supplementing battlefield rations, New Scientist reports.

It is a cunning balance of smart packaging, clever filling and water content, because moisture and air encourage mould.

The food experts crafted chunky fillings such as pepperoni and barbecued chicken to which they added humectants - substances that prevent the water from leaking out.

The sandwiches were then sealed, without pasteurisation, in laminated plastic pouches that included sachets of chemicals to suck out any lingering oxygen molecules, thus denying bugs the air to breathe and multiply.

The snacks are designed to stay ''fresh'' for up to three years at 26 deg C or for six months at 38 deg C.

Guinea-pig GIs have tasted the two experimental varieties of sandwiches and deemed them ''acceptable'', says the report.

Scientists are now going to extend the menu to include mini pizzas, bagels and burritos.

[Nitro]

Scientists are now going to extend the menu to include mini pizzas, bagels and burritos.

Damn, isn't a fresh Burrito bad enough... now they want a soldier in a fox-hole to chow down on a three year old fart factory!!!

[nevergore]

oooohhhhhh! yummmmmmm!

NeverGore :^)

[KDD]

Mmmm...a 3 year old sandwich with some of that 30 year life-span peanut butter on it might be enough to encourage one to re-up.

Choosey mess sargents, after all.

[ofMagog]

Snow Bunny has ordered several cases of these Spam sandwiches for the crew...

[SAJ]

Oh, great. PERPETUAL MREs. Three lies in one, forever. Gaak.

[westnews]

Hostess has been doing this for years. Place a Twinkie on an M1 Abrams Tank and see which one decomposses first. I think the half life of a Twinkie is something like 10,000 years.

[Age of Reason]

Place a Twinkie on an M1 Abrams Tank and see which one decomposses first. I think the half life of a Twinkie is something like 10,000 years.

Twinkie Failure Testing

[Scuttlebutt]

several cases of these Spam sandwiches for the crew...

When I enlisted as part of your crew, you promised three hots and a cot. I had to settle for hot racking in a hammock but I absolutely refuse to accept three year old spam sandwiches for chow.

[ofMagog]

But, Snow Bunny serves them so beatifully and they really are somewhat more tasty than her Spam on a Shingle.

You are hereby sentenced to row back and forth to feed Fred on his surfboard behind us. Further mutinous mutterings will result in being put in charge of bikini watch.

Current time is 1005 Friday as we near Tahiti. Phishing is GREAT!

[Scuttlebutt]

Further mutinous mutterings will result in being put in charge of bikini watch.

I think you are violating Article 120 sub-paragraph (c) of the UCMJ with that sentence. My old gums cannot penetrate a three year old spam sandwich…no matter how slight.

[The Scorpion King]

The Army also announced that it is going to award a new medal for eating the new 3 year sandwhich.

[Sicon]

"US Army invents a sandwich that lasts 3 years..."

And bachelors around the country rejoice!

[Fred Mertz]

I sure am mighty hungry mate!

[Scuttlebutt]

Well you are in a heap of trouble then. We've been plotting a little mutiny and sedition down on the mess decks and decided that you are just going to have to go hungry. Ain't no one gonna shuttle back and forth to feed you until the skipper puts surf and turf back on the menu.

[ofMagog]

Sending Scuttlebutt back with a package of
Snow Bunny's peanut butter and Spamwiches.

[Fred Mertz]

Thanks Cap'n! Now I'm nearly dying of thirst....hint...hint.

[beowolf]

Geeze....Spam, spam, spam.....if you'd let me be chef, at least it wouldn't be spam...but the wine cellar would be emptied really fast!-)

[William Terrell]

Guinea-pig GIs have tasted the two experimental varieties of sandwiches and deemed them ''acceptable'', says the report.

What the guinea-pigs don't know is that they, too, will now last for three years.

[kipj]

The snacks are designed to stay ''fresh'' for up to three years at 26 deg C or for six months at 38 deg C.
I don't have the vaguest idea what that means. The metric system was a failure in this country.