Airmen conduct multinational MRE study

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Russell Wicke
  • 455th Expeditionary Operations Group Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) --  Frog legs versus Pad Thai fried noodles? Country Captain Chicken versus veal parmigiana?

There is a culinary war of nutrition being waged in Afghanistan as a flight doctor and a pilot with the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group conduct a study of meals ready to eat from at least 13 different coalition countries here.

The study involves a comparison of taste, portability, ease of preparation and nutrition of each of the different countries’ issued rations in hopes to produce better MREs everywhere, said Capt. Michelle Vestal, an 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron pilot here.

Although the coalition comprises 24 different countries here, not all of them have packaged MREs. But Maj. (Dr.) Michael Paston, chief of flight medicine for the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group, said he was doing what he could to involve every country that deploys here with MREs.

“In a multinational environment like this you never know what you might be expected to eat,” Vestal said. “That is one of the reason’s I’m curious about what we find.”

Paston, who has a background in science and nutrition, said he believes there is a lot more research to do yet.

“We’re in the process of getting more MREs from different countries,” Paston said. “Many times, we run into language barriers and have a hard time identifying what type of food we’re dealing with.”

Nevertheless, he said this was a minor setback in the project.

From their research so far, they said one thing is certain.

“Hands down, the U.S. meals have won the MRE war,” Paston said.

“Not only was the taste of our MREs preferred, but the majority of more than 25 participants said they are much more convenient to eat from, and portability is easier. They are lighter, produce less trash and (are) more compact.”

The score did not settle at taste and convenience, however.

“Our MREs also proved to be healthier, with better nutritional content,” Paston said. “Some of the MREs we tested didn’t even have a nutrition label, and many different foreign MREs came packed with a lot of sugar and chocolate.”

Even so, their research did find some interesting devices included with foreign meal packages.

“The Italian MREs came with a one-time-use toothbrush that doubled as a toothpick,” Vestal said. The toothpaste was pre-packed in the brush.

Dental floss, can-openers and other small devices were found among other packages.

Aside from the devices, certain meals were competitive in single areas.

“We found that many people enjoyed the taste of the French MREs over most; … particularly the lamb,” Paston said.

Norway’s meals proved healthy because of the whole grains in the cereal, Vestal said.

Both airmen said they plan to take the fruit of their research to the Aerospace Medical Association conference in Anchorage, Alaska, on May 9.

“There we can take our results to where they can be used to improve the way U.S. MREs are produced,” said Paston.

Still, if nothing better than amusement comes from this project, Vestal said she believes it is time well spent.

“Much of the research is motivated from basic and scientific curiosity,” she said. “It also provides some good entertainment for those deployed here.”