Use of Edible Laminate Layers in Intermediate Moisture Food Rations to Inhibit Moisture Migration
Abstract
This report documents a storage study of a novel technology to inhibit moisture migration in multi-component foods, specifically shelf-stable military rations, conducted in FY 2013 and 2014 by the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC). Edible laminated layers (LL) were inserted as barriers in a model food system and later in a shelf-stable pizza to evaluate their ability to inhibit moisture migration and improve sensory quality. Moisture migration can produce unpleasing physical and chemical changes in multi-component foods, affecting safety, shelf life, and sensory quality. These phenomena occur over time due to differences in the water activity of individual components in the product. Five of the seven LL barriers evaluated inhibited moisture migration between sandwich layers that had differences in water activity. The effectiveness of the various LLs seemed to be largely dependent on film thickness and material. Two of the three films evaluated in the pizza proved effective in slowing moisture migration to the crust during 2 weeks of storage at 120 deg F, but were inconsistent after 4 weeks at that temperature and 3 and 6 of storage at 100 deg F. None of the three LLs significantly increased sensory quality characteristics in the pizza prototypes. This research will be useful in future product development for ration and commercial items that are prone to moisture migration.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 29, 2016
- Accession Number
- ADA632390
Entities
People
- Ann H. Barrett
- Lauren J. Pecukonis
- Nicole Farhadi
Organizations
- United States Army Soldier Systems Center