DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-100-6-0369

VLIV PE/PA VAKUOVÉHO BALENÍ NA LYOFILIZOVANÉ BOJOVÉ POTRAVINOVÉ DÁVKY SKLADOVANÉ PŘI 5, 25 A 40 °C

EFFECT OF PE/PA VACUUM PACKAGING ON FREEZE-DRIED COMBAT RATIONS STORED AT 5, 25 AND 40 °C

Martin Szotkowski¹, Jiří Malíšek¹, Markéta Pětová¹, Kristina Trenzová¹, Kateřina Křištofová²

¹ Laboratoř výzkumu jakosti a bezpečnosti potravin, Katedra logistiky, Fakulta vojenského leadershipu, Univerzita obrany, Kounicova 65, 662 10 Brno, Česká republika

² Ústav hygieny a technologie potravin rostlinného původu, Fakulta veterinární hygieny a ekologie, Veterinární univerzita Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Česká republika

Ensuring long-term stability and safety of combat and emergency rations is essential for operational readiness and crisis response. This study evaluated the stability of freeze-dried meals intended for military use according to NATO Standard AMedP 1.11, with emphasis on the suitability of polyethylene/polyamide (PE/PA) vacuum packaging as a lightweight alternative to aluminium-based barrier materials. Five meal types were produced and freeze-dried: beef goulash, pork goulash, beef with egg barley, pork with egg barley, and chicken with egg barley. Portions were vacuum-sealed in PE/PA pouches and stored for 12 months at 5 °C, 25 °C, and 40 °C to simulate cold, ambient, and accelerated aging conditions. Physicochemical stability was monitored using water activity, moisture content, pH, and color parameters. Water activity remained below the critical threshold for microbial growth throughout storage, ranging approximately from 0.15 at 5 °C to 0.38 at 40 °C. Microbiological analyses confirmed the absence of pathogenic contamination across all meals and sampling points. Sensory evaluation showed that meals stored at 5 °C and 25 °C retained acceptable quality, while storage at 40 °C resulted in a significant decline in sensory attributes, particularly texture
and taste. High-temperature storage promoted oxidative deterioration, with increased rancidity most pronounced in goulash-type meals. The results demonstrate that freeze-drying combined with PE/PA vacuum packaging provides effective microbiological safety and satisfactory short-to-medium-term stability under temperate conditions. However, the moderate oxygen and moisture barrier properties of PE/PA may be insufficient to preserve sensory quality during prolonged storage at elevated temperatures. These findings highlight the importance of packaging selection and storage temperature control in the development and logistical deployment of stable, acceptable, and nutritionally reliable military rations.

Keywords: freeze-drying, military rations, PE/PA packaging, vacuum sealing, shelf life, sensory stability, water activity

pages: 369-376, online: 2026