Project Description Instability of foods is a major concern in the maintenance and development of combat ration systems. Foods can deteriorate during storage and transportation and develop undesirable or even unacceptable flavor, texture, and color.
Water plays an essential role in the stability of foods.
Both the state and the amount of water in a food material are important. These are influenced by the initial conditions, which are affected by formulation and processing conditions, and by physical and chemical changes during storage and transportation. Results from this project will be used to develop better formulation, processing technology, packaging, and storage conditions for combat ration systems. The focus of this research has been on the interactions between water and polymers in selected starch-based foods. We observed changes in water mobility as a function of storage or staling, and we concluded that there was a shift of water mobility between the components.