nor does it imply approval of the

nor does it imply approval of the product to the exclusion of others which may also be suitable.)

Food for the troops

Several people have asked about foods that might be sent to military personnel in Saudi Arabia. The Food Science Department,at USD A offers some suggestions.

There are several factors to consider in selecting foods to send including safety, quality, cost to transport, and religious beliefs of the Saudis. The loss of safety and quality is very rapid because of the extreme heat (as high as 150 degrees F in transit). Food may become unsafe because of bacterial or mold growth or insect infestation. Loss of quality may be due to melting, staling, or development of rancidity.

Since it is not possible to control temperature, the nature of the food and the way it is packaged become the primary ways of insuring quality and safety. Foods with a low moisture content will hold up better than those with a high moisture content. Drop and rolled cookies are examples of low moisture foods. These cookies will be safe to consume — they aren’t likely to mold or support bacterial growth — but they may break in transit or become stale.

Bar cookies (brownies, ect.) have a higher moisture content and thus are more prone to mold. The presence of moisture also speeds up the development of rancidity of nuts used in the cookies.

Dried fruit is a possibility although mold growth and insect infestation are possibilities. Send those treated with sulfur dioxide or other preservatives and commercially packaged as the vacuum packaging excludes air.

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