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Nutrition
General information on sealed aluminium pouches
This is real food not to be confused with freeze dried meals.
Our pouched foods are the result of research into designing and producing nourishing and tasty foods to suit all tastes. Initially manufactured for Ministry of Defence, these are now available to the public. The meals are simple and easy to prepare (see 'Use' below). All dishes are of an individual portion size, therefore menu planning is simple as everyone may have a different dish if they so require. The helf life of the food is up to three years and it does not have to be stored in refridgerated conditions but in any cool domestic storage. In addition, the pouch is flat making it easy to store.
Innovative technology
The flexible aluminium composite foil pouch possesses excellent thermal conductivity characteristics. Vacuum sealing causes the packaging to mould to the shape of the contents and ensures optimal heat absorption and thus gentle, non-destructive sterilisation. The destinctive flavours of the individual ingreadients are maintained, along with the product's characteristic consistency are preserved in their natural form. The principle of constant high quality is based on select raw materials and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes. The special packaging technique not only means gentle non-destructive sealing of the products but also ensures complete protection against detrimental influences like light, air, etc. The package has also been designed with the environment in mind - waste is reduced to a minimum.
Use
As mentioned earlier, the sealed aluminium pouches are easy to use. Heat up the pouches as you like. The simplest way is by placing the pouch in water, bringing it to the boil and simmering for approximatley three to four minutes. Bulkier meat items eg meatballs, may take a little longer to heat through. (Any water may be used eg sea, river, lake etc, as it will not contaminate the food - this also reduces the risk of stomach problems through using contaminated water as in other forms of cooking. If a wholesome water supply is available this may be used afterwards for making tea or coffee.)
The food is then ready to eat and the pouch is quick and easy to open by cutting the edges of the package with a pair of scissors or using the tear slot on some of the bags. Therefore, the aluminium pouch is ideal for dining on a mountain, or on the sea. All products are ready to serve in a matter of minutes.
First Choice Expedition Foods have been used on Everest including Graham Ratcliffe's recent 'first Brit' to climb Everest from both sides, in Arctic and Antarctic Expeditions, Round the World attempt Balloon Flights- Brietling Orbiter and the Virgin Challenger Teams, the National Mountaineering Centres in North Wales and Scotland, and by Tony Bullimore, Mike Garside and others in Round-the-World Yacht Races, also competitors in the Atlantic Rowing Race and Mountain Marathons.
This food was used by Jim Shekhdar who rowed from Chile to Australia www.pacific-challenge-2000.com & Peter Bram who paddled a Kayak from Canada to Ireland - both were unsupported crossings.
Economy
| 1. |
Energy savings all along the line. |
| 2. |
No cooking waste. Everyone can have their own choice of menu - vegetarians are also catered for. |
| 3. |
Budgeting made easy. |
| 4. |
Little washing up - meals can be eaten straight from the bag |
| 5. |
Always at your fingertips with a three-year shelf life on production. |
| 6. |
Can be eaten cold - its is ready cooked. |
The advantages of freeze dried foods
General information:
There are two ways to extract the moisture from food
a) by driving the moisture off through heat in an oven.
b) by extracting the moisture through freeze drying – the product is frozen, and then the ice removed as vapour in a vacuum chamber.
The first method produces a product, which is often structurally destroyed and requires much cooking to rehydrate to an acceptable product. The latter however produces a lightweight food that re-hydrates readily and is returned to its former structure and texture – but this process is more expensive.
Advantages:
The significant advantages of Freeze Dried foods are weight and volume. The weight can be reduced by as much as 80% in some cases, with a similar saving in volume compared to the ambient foods.
Some foods have to be cooked in a pan for between 5 to 8 minutes per portion, others can be re-hydrated and ready to eat in 5 minutes just by adding boiling (or near boiling) water to the bag containing the food. Advances in recent years have vastly improved the quality and range of light-weight foods.
We have in the past few years supplied these foods to Atlantic Rowers; Round the World Sailors; and Expeditions throughout the world; from Arctic and Antarctic explorers to film crews searching for lost Inca settlements in the Amazon Jungle.
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