Determining Permissible Oxygen and Water Vapor Transmission Rate for Non-Retort Military Ration Packaging
Abstract
This report documents a study that was conducted by the Department of Defense (DoD) Combat Feeding Directorate at the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) to determine baseline barrier requirements, such as oxygen transmission rate (OTR) and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), for the non-retort pouch found in the Meal, Ready to EatTM (MRETM) individual ration. During this study, cracker samples were packed in pouches with known permeation to oxygen and water vapor. Cracker pouches were then stored under controlled environmental conditions. Crackers were pulled from storage at predetermined intervals and tested for various attributes, such as sensory quality, moisture content, water activity, texture, and headspace. From the sensory analysis it was found that the required WVTR for the non-retort pouch to meet a 3-year shelf life is at least 0.13 g/m2/d, using the current units for WVTR that are found in military specification PCR-C-037. However, when taking into account pouch size, which is a more accurate and realistic way to determine and specify required WVTR, the allowable water vapor ingress is 0.004 g/pouch/d. Cracker samples used to determine permissible OTR did not fall below the overall quality requirement for sensory attributes during the 32-week study. Thus, an allowable OTR for the non-retort pouch cannot be calculated from the results obtained.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA553338
Entities
People
- Alan Wright
- Danielle Froio
- Nicole Favreau
- Sarah Schirmer
Organizations
- United States Army Soldier Systems Center