Army dreams of long-life sandwich

IT tops a US army’s most-wanted list.

Making the classic peanut butter and jam combination battle-ready for soldiers is the aim of army scientists, who have developed sandwiches that will keep without refrigeration for three years.

After four years of research of "anytime, anywhere snacks", the army has come up with formulas for two sandwiches pepperoni and barbecue chicken that use chemical and natural preservatives to lock in moisture and inhibit bacteria and mould growth.

Jerry Darsch, who directs the Defence Department's feeding programme in Massachusetts, said his sandwiches were designed to be as resilient as the troops they feed.

"This bad boy will last a minimum of three years at 80F (27C), six months at 100F (38C). They will travel to the swampiest swamp, the highest mountain, the most arid desert," Mr Darsch said.

Some stabilising agents are manufactured, others are intrinsic to the sandwiches.

Soldiers are not likely to take a bite until 2006 because more research is needed principally, the researchers confessed, on PB&J, the sandwich most demanded by troops in focus groups.

Other sandwiches in the works include pizza-flavoured, and ham and cheese.Peanut butter has so far proven too unstable to last three years in battlefield conditions. The current fare in Afghanistan includes pasta primeval, beef stew and seafood jambalaya.

At 325 calories, the sandwiches provide a quarter of the 1,300 calories provided by existing meals, but their convenience is attractive.