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FUELING PERFORMANCE

Soldiers Taste-Test Rations

NATICK COMBAT FEEDING DIRECTORATE APPLIES FEEDBACK TO ITS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

New Hampshire Governor Chris
Sununu, far right, speaks with
Stephen Moody, far left, direc-
tor of the Combat Feeding Di-
rectorate at the Natick Soldier
he Combat Feeding Directorate (CFD) at the Natick invented by CFD’s Dr. Tom Yang, Research, Development and
Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center which he has dubbed the “Salad Engineering Center, during a
T(NSRDEC) recently gave service members a glimpse Bar.” demonstration/sampling of
at its work from developing eat-on-the-move rations that To make the bar, Yang, a se- recent ration advances held at
the New Hampshire National
sustain momentum for early-stage mobile military opera- nior food technologist, took fresh Guard Joint Forces Headquarters
tions to the recipes for meals served in dining facilities. salad ingredients and then cov- in Concord, N.H. (Photo by: Staff
CFD became the main attraction of a Joint Services ered them in a honey-mustard Sgt. Rick Frost, New Hampshire
National Guard)
Tactical Field Feeding Exercise held in September at the dressing, which helps with vita-
New Hampshire National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters min absorption and taste. He then investigated technolo-
in Concord, N.H. gies and made the salad into a nutrition bar that can be
Presentations made by members of CFD’s many de- eaten as a meal or a healthy snack.
partments ranged from the Armed Forces Recipe Service “The prototype Salad Bar is produced using a conven-
and the Go for Green dining facility nutrition education tional drying process and compression,” Yang said. “It
program to focus groups on advances in rations. Also, CFD is a low-weight, low-volume, shelf-stable and fresh-like
and Product Manager Force Sustainment Systems (PM-FSS) vegetable mixed with salad dressing. It can be eaten as is
jointly developed refresher training for non-commissioned or can be quickly rehydrated into a salad.”
officers on field feeding kitchen equipment and systems. The bar is part of CFD’s ongoing efforts to develop
Service members attending the Field Feeding Exercise more dried foods as a way to lighten the soldier’s load. The
contributed valuable feedback that CFD can use on research Salad Bar proved popular with the soldier participants. “It
and development. “This is an excellent opportunity to tastes like a Caesar granola bar,” said Sgt. Scott Christie of
interact with a key regional partner,” said Stephen Moody, the New Hampshire Army National Guard. “Well done.”
director of NSRDEC’s CFD. “This strategic relationship Another looked forward to the Salad Bar becoming a
helps to ensure that future combat rations and field feed- Meal, Ready to Eat variety available in the field. “I liked
ing equipment are ‘Warfighter Recommended, Warfighter the concept of the Salad Bar,” said Spc. Devan Bradley
Tested and Warfighter Approved.’” from New Hampshire’s Army National Guard. “I’d like to
To learn what soldiers would like or not like to see see it in an MRE in the future.”
added to operational rations, CFD led focus groups and
let them sample existing and potential new items with SCIENTISTS
the feedback used to influence future recipes. CFD scientists believe that working side by side with
soldiers to develop the best items is an important part of
“SALAD BAR” the process. Gathering written responses to surveys plays
One of the items tested was a compressed food bar an important role, and working face to face with soldiers,
10 GOVERNMENT FOOD SERVICE • NOVEMBER 2017