Production of pizza meals ready to eat (MRE) for U.S. troops are indefinitely delayed after problems with long-term preservation, Defense News reports.
The production problem arose after the pizzas turned very dark brown during long-term testing. The pizza, which was slated to come in cheese and pepperoni, was still edible for U.S. forces, but scientists said it is “more of a quality issue.” The pizza meals were widely anticipated by U.S. forces and are the most requested food item of army scientists.
A 2011 Washington Post profile of MRE production notes:
Pizza, however, continues to be problematic. Every soldier wants it. Who doesn’t? But all those ingredients — the bread, the cheese, the sauce — are a nightmare. Especially the sauce, which after just a few days makes even the most robust crust soggy. And its high water content breeds bacteria; as the food scientists say: “Biology happens.”
All military MREs must be able to endure three years in storage at 80 degrees Fahrenheit or below and be able to survive an airdrop of several thousand feet. Army food labs are also “testing a beef jerky stick that . . . contains an equivalent of a cup of coffee’s worth of caffeine to give even the sleepiest soldier that up-and-at-’em boost.”
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