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 Does it contain what it says on the... pouch? No not always...

Does your expedition food deliver the calorie claim on the pack? How could it not? I decided to look at some of the products on the market to see if they really did deliver what they say they do. This came about as a result of studying some packs of food and finding that they seemed to have an extraordinary energy value compared to their list of ingredients. It just didn’t seem to hang together, so the rather pedantic scientist in me couldn’t leave it alone and I now feel redeemed after having some analysis done on various freeze dried foodstuffs. In a way though, I wish I had been wrong with my doubts.

I have written about various studies with reference to the degradation of nutritional values in long life processed food and supplements. It is not necessarily important for short term expeditions to have the perfect nutritional values, especially when care is taken with nutrition in the run up to and post event. However, during shorter events, say over a weekend or similar, the real difficulty lies with consuming the right amount of energy. This is normally determined by having the right food with you that is acceptable and for you to have ample opportunity to eat. This is important, so that not  only will you be able to perform at your best, but also to aid recovery after the event to enable you to get back to training, or start the next event in tip top condition. This is particularly important for events such as sailing in the Figaro or mountaineering expeditions .

Whilst you always expect a small variance in values you should not see major percentage differences between the label and actual analysis. Results from lab and paper analysis showed the worst case claimed a whopping 900 calorie plus per meal which actually  was deficient by over 200 calories. Others included percentages of between a very acceptable and accurate plus 5 percent and an extraordinary minus 30 percent of the claimed calories. Of the samples analysed 22 percent were inaccurate to the detriment of the calorie value. Some even had issues with the labelling which did not make sense, but that’s another story!

The ramifications for long term expeditions or short intense expeditions where the only food source is the resources which have been packed can be major. My advice would be to spread your food choices over various manufacturers and food types. In this way you can minimise your risk. Choose foods which you really like in as many differing formats as you can find. There are many studies that have indicated variety as essential to prevent food boredom where the food not only becomes plain boring, but worse, increasingly unpalatable. Of prime importance is to enjoy the food you take, as then you are more likely to eat it and consume maximum nutrition. Simple really!  Of course you can always ask RTW Food to source all your expedition supplies and we will ensure you have a great variety of the best food available!

Life of Brian and NASA...
“Alright, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us....?” Quote Monty Python.

We could say the same about NASA, our modern day equivalent modernisers. Known as NASA Spinoff, recent technology has been pushed forward in so many areas from solar panels, artificial limbs, software engineering, water purification, food safety, fire fighting equipment and aircraft de-icing systems to name but a small handful of technologies which have been developed as a direct result of space travel and often by employees at NASA with, or without collaboration.
Developments in food technology have created HACCP (food safety management system) and long shelf life foods such as freeze dried meals and astronaut ice cream. We have long given up the pemmican - that is the pounded dried meat mixed with fat and are more likely to go on expeditions, or even weekends in the great outdoors armed with meals such as spaghetti bolognaise, or chicken a la king, freeze dried, or pasteurised. As long as the calories are there most trekkers, sailors, scouts, or bikers don’t really mind about the weekend’s nutritional value in itself, although it is true to say that good nutrition before, during and after any strenuous exercise impacts on performance and recovery, but that’s another story. Most attitudes change once the period away from kitchens and stores is extended. Nutrients such as vitamins and minerals the ratio of fat, protein and carbohydrate all become more important and can impact on well being, performance and also recovery.
The Experiment...

Researchers at NASA’s Johnson Space Centre have conducted various studies to identify the implications of consuming preserved food for expeditions and long shelf life food.

This was evaluated with a earth based control sample of each of the foodstuffs.  

Four bags with six items of food item and a supplement were launched  in July 2006 on a space shuttle. Included in the food was freeze dried meals, tortillas, dried fruit, biscuits, nuts and pasteurised food. All reached the space station, one bag stayed on the shuttle and came back to earth 13 days later. The other three bags were returned to earth on the space shuttle at differing times. The first after 353 days, the second 596 days and  the final one at 880 days later. The control to the experiment was a total of nine bags of the same food items and supplements which were held in an environmental chamber,

There was a significant loss of vitamins in the tortillas, and meals and vitamin supplement. Losses of nutrients include 15-20 per cent losses for naturally occurring vitamin C, folic acid and pantothenic acid. Nearly all of the vitamins in the multivitamin supplement in addition to the vitamin D supplement decreased after an absolute minimum of 353 days of storage. This amounted to losses of between 10-15% . Degradation of the almonds had started a mere 13 days after the experiment.

The earth based control samples of each of the foodstuffs in the environmental chamber produced the same results, showing that time was the influencer not space travel.

The main studies conducted have been for pasteurised foodstuffs and also for vitamin supplements. Thermo stabilised items degraded nutritionally when stored at ambient temperatures showing a loss of vitamin c, folic acid and pantothenic acid over a 3 year period with significant losses in the first 12 months.

The freeze dried foodstuffs are still to undergo similar evaluations, however similar decreases are thought to be likely, this is based on data from suppliers and anecdotal evidence. It is also thought that there is a correlation between degradation in flavour, colour and texture with nutrient content and nutrient stability. So if it looks poor quality it probably has a poor nutritional content.

It’s true to say that food safety and quality, rather than nutritional content are the normal determinants for shelf life. There are not many manufacturers who claim vitamin and mineral content in the pasteurised or freeze dried food market. NASA found that not much food was acceptable after a 2 year time frame identifying that new technologies need to be investigated for long term missions. This is particularly important when considering 3+ year missions to Mars. These could include pressure assisted thermal stabilisation which has shown better quality and nutritional profiles after processing, so you start with better quality before you start storing. Another alternative could be microwave sterilisation.

Don’t be a martyr! It doesn’t work...

NASA also looked at palatability. Studies from the 1950’s armed forces indicated that a repeated consumption of a foodstuff reduced the acceptability. Nowadays we may be bored with food and you would think that everyone would simply eat for survival, but this was not what their studies showed, compromising performance.

Thermo stabilised foodstuffs (known as pasteurised or wet pack foods) have recently become more popular and the current space crews are likely to store approximately 1.8 kg of food plus packaging per person per day. The thermo stabilised food is generally preferred in taste tests by crew members. When considering the trade off for pasteurised versus freeze dried water storage considerations to rehydrate the food is paramount. NASA used to have water produced as a by-product when using the old fuel cells. Now that they use solar panels for the fuel source so this is not longer relevant. In order to rehydrate the freeze dried food they would need to take the water too. So unless you can outsource your water for example if you have a water maker onboard your yacht or if trekking you have a guaranteed water source it is a further decision to make.

And all this means.... What?

All well and good, but what implications does this hold for us?

Well, for long term expeditions for health, performance and the fastest recovery and also for short term expeditions for performance and recovery you need the shortest shelf life you can buy to ensure the most nutrient dense gram for your £.

Ensure you have food which you enjoy and are likely to eat, a variety of foods and textures and consider the pros and cons of pasteurised versus freeze dried particularly with reference to water supplies and also water heating facilities. Some freeze dried food is acceptable hydrated with cold water (takes a lot longer to hydrate) but not too good on the palate and all pasteurised food may be eaten cold. Believe me the latter is definitely better than slowly hydrated cold freeze dried food!

Take a multi vitamin and mineral supplement, but make sure this also has a good long shelf life too, as it was also proved to degrade over a 12 month period. One thing that none of us know to any great extent is how the body’s nutrient needs change when in expedition mode, although it is clear that the need for additional calories is paramount this suggests that other nutrients are also needed in greater quantities.

Finally, buy the best food you can afford. You will probably need less of it and enjoy it more  so you’re more likely to eat it, enabling you to get closer to your nutritional needs.