Technologies for Developing Sustaining Foods for Specialized Missions

Dear Colleagues,

We are co-editing an invited Special Issue of Sustainability entitled “Technologies for Developing Sustaining Food Items for Specialized Missions”. This compilation will concern novel processing technologies for volume/weight reduction and caloric densification, as well as preservation techniques that ensure the quality of these products during prolonged storage. While the topics for this Issue pertain to novel research undertaken to develop ration items for military and space exploration use, they have broad applicability to commercial, research, and governmental sectors focused on supplemental nutrition, emergency/famine relief, and quality-preserving food processing strategies. This compilation will concern novel process technologies for volume/weight reduction and caloric densification, as well as preservation techniques, formula modifications, and packaging technologies that ensure the quality of these products during prolonged storage. The scope of this Issue will include nutritional/product planning through novel technologies that sustain quality, such as advanced dehydration methods, nutrient encapsulation, and specialized packaging strategies, which preserve nutritional and sensory quality and help promote consumption. These techniques can furthermore be used in conjunction with novel compression processes to produce high-quality, energy-dense products. An additional method for potentially sustaining warfighters and astronauts is the at-point-of-need delivery of products via additive manufacturing. Each research area contributes to the general purpose of ensuring sustenance for individuals in isolated or extreme environments.

The proposed Issue will be well-situated within the recent literature due not only to the current interest in these technologies, but also to the recent ground-breaking advancements seen in the area. The authors are at the forefront of these research areas, all having presented at recent international conferences and having published on related topics.

References:

• Sirmons, T. A., Roma, P. G., Whitmire, A. M., Smith, S. M., Zwart, S. R., Young, M., & Douglas, G. L. 2020. Meal replacement in isolated and confined mission environments: Consumption, acceptability, and implications for physical and behavioral health. Physiology & Behavior, 219, 112829.
• Ann Barrett and Roberto Capodieci. Wheat flour as a model system to study process effects of sonic agglomeration—a new food compression technique.  Published abstracts: Cereals and Grains annual meeting (American Association of Cereal Chemists), November 2019.
• Michelle Richardson and Sydney Walker.  The Effects of Temperature, Formulation, and Packaging Type on aw Shifts of Extended Shelf Life Bakery Items. Published abstract: Cereal and Grains, November 2019.
• Ann Barrett.  The Future of Food Printing and Other Innovative Processes for the US Military:  Ration Components Tailored for Individual and Situational Needs. Published abstracts: Canadian Nutritional Society/ILSI Meeting, April 2019.
• Mary Scerra, Michael Okamoto, Ees Satchithanandam, and Ann Barrett.   Effects of 3D Printing and Thermal Post Processing on the Stability of Vitamin A Acetate.  Published abstracts: Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo, November 2018.
• Ann Barrett, Tom Yang and Roberto Capodieci.  Engineering, stability, and soldier and technical acceptance of sonically compressed calorically dense ration components.  Published abstracts: Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting, July 2018.
• Mary Scerra, Ann Barrett and Michael Okamoto.  Fused Deposition Modeling and Modified Pea Protein Formulation Used to Evaluate Stability and Printability of a 3D Printed Food.   Published abstracts: IFT, July 2018.
• Danielle Froio, Ann Barrett and Michelle Richardson.  A Study of the Effect of Novel Processing Methods and Storage on Food Quality and High Barrier Packaging.  Published abstracts: IF, July 2018.
• Nicole Farhadi, Ann Barrett and Matthew Gage.  The design of peptide-based hydrogels for applications in austere food environments including processing and storage model systems.  Published abstracts: The International Food Chemistry and Nutrition Conference, June, 2018.
• Ann Barrett.  Caloric Densification of Military Ration Components.  Published abstracts: IFT, July 2017.
• Cooper, M., Perchonok, M., & Douglas, G. L.  2017.  Initial assessment of the nutritional quality of the space food system over three years of ambient storage.  Microgravity, 3(1), 1-4.
• Michelle Richardson, Ann Barrett, Jacquelyn Leblanc, and Sydney Walker.  Moisture Sorption Characteristics of Shelf Stable Brownies at Different Storage Temperatures, Phase I.  Published abstracts: IFT, July 2016.
• Helen Lane, Charles Bourland, Ann Barrett, Martina Heer, and Scott Smith. 2013.  The Role of Nutritional Research in the Success of Human Space Flight. Advances in Nutrition, 4: 521-523. 
• Ann Barrett and Jack Briggs.  2012.  Caloric Densification for Warfighter Sustainment.  Chapter in Military Food Engineering and Ration Technology.  Eds., Ann Barrett and Armand Cardello.  DesTech Publishers.  Pp. 103-126.
• Michelle Richardson. 2012.  Intermediate Moisture Technologies for Rations. Chapter in Military Food Engineering and Ration Technology.  Eds., Ann Barrett and Armand Cardello.  DesTech Publishers.  Pp. 223-253
• Jack Briggs, Paul Maguire, Peter Sherman, Betty Davis, Ann Barrett, John Mahon, and John Doucette.  2009. Final report on development of an emergency food product:  product and packaging specification, shelf life study, and drop test synopsis.  United States Agency for International Development Web Release, February         
• Taoukis, P., & Richardson, M.  2000.  Principles of intermediate-moisture foods and related technology.  Chapter in Water Activity in Foods: Fundamentals and Applications, eds. Gustavo V. Barbosa-Canovas, Anthony J. Fontana, Jr., Shelly J. Schmidt, Theodore P. Labuza. pp 273-311, Blackwell Publishing
• A.H. Barrett, A.V. Cardello, L. Mair, P. Maguire, L.L. Lesher, M. Richardson, J. Briggs, and I.A, Taub.  2000.  Textural optimization of shelf-stable bread:  effects of glycerol content and dough-forming technique.  Cereal Chemistry: 77:169-176.

Dr. Ann Barrett
Ms. Michelle Richardson
Guest Editors

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• food densification
• dehydration
• caloric enhancement
• long-term food stabilization
• compact menu design
• advanced packaging technologies