Effect of Processing and Preparation for Serving on Vitamin Content in T, B, and A Ration Pork

摘要

A study was performed to evaluate and compare military serving practices for T, B, and A rations. The product for study was pork. The Tray Pack (TP) and the B ration products were sterilized in either flat or cylindrical cans. The A ration product was oven roasted. All products were subjected to various heating and holding periods to emulate military serving practices. The criteria applied to evaluate these practices was retention of vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, and pyridoxine in pork before and after treatment. The results show that the retention of vitamin thiamin, was usually lower than that of vitamins riboflavin, or pyridoxine, regardless of the treatment. The most important factor influencing vitamin retention was the method of processing. Tray Pack processing of pork was far less destructive to vitamin thiamin, than was the processing of the B ration port in No. 2 1/2 and No. 10 cans. The A ration pork processing retained a substantially greater amount of vitamin thiamin than the Tray Pack and B ration pork products. Although wide fluctuations of F(o) values were observed during thermal processing of Tray Pack or B ration pork, thiamin loss was reasonably constant for each product replicate. These data suggested fairly uniform thermal treatment in contrast to what was indicated by the F(o) values. In general, military serving practices did not appreciably affect the nutritional quality, at least with respect to vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, and pyridoxine.