 "Photo: Ishmael Ali Elisas")
Food scientists at Ohio State are trying to create a better egg. As part of a research project, a new omelet is being developed for military rations, and possibly to consumers.
OSU is working on the project with Washington State University and the Illinois Institute of Technology.
V.M. Balasubramaniam, a food scientist working on the project at OSU, said the eggs that the Army once served were "green and rubbery." The military is "looking for new ways of processing food," he said. The military stopped serving eggs several years ago.
While in deployment, Capt. Tony Torres, a pilot and an assistant professor of aerospace science in the Air Force Reserve Office Training Center at OSU, was served the eggs that the military used to provide.
"They weren't so good," he said. "I didn't enjoy those at all. You had to douse them in Tabasco (sauce) to get them down."
Torres said the unpopular eggs were served as a last resort when other food was gone.
"Most people would give away their omelets," he said.
Jaime Ackerman, a dietician and an extension associate in the Department of Human Nutrition, said proper nutrition is important, especially for those people who do a lot of physical activity, such as those in the military.
"(Eggs) are the most concentrated sources of protein available," she said. "One egg has six to seven grams of protein, which is as much as one ounce of meat."
Because eggs are high in quality proteins and contain fat, they are more filling, so one can eat less to feel satisfied, Ackerman said.
"(Eggs) pretty much have almost every essential vitamin and mineral," she said. Eggs contain Vitamins A and D, calcium and folate to name a few. They lack only Vitamin C," she said.
Balasubramaniam said the new omelet comes from frozen commercial egg products, which are made from real eggs and contain natural nutrients.
"(The project uses) basically high-pressure processing as an alternative for making better food products for the food industry," Balasubramaniam said.
Making the eggs requires a process unlike most common kitchen recipes.
"We heat them to a certain temperature and load them inside a pressure vessel," Balasubramaniam said. "We give them a heat and pressure treatment."
This treatment is intense. "The pressure is 100,000 pounds per square inch, and the heat is 231 degrees Farenheit," Balasubramaniam said.
He said the reason for this extreme process is to kill the bacterial spores in the egg substance. The treatment inactivates the spores, making the food fresher for a longer period of time, and this results in better quality, he said.
"We are extending the quality of the egg products for a longer time, (about) two to three years, and we expect (it) to be much better," Balasubramaniam said.
Torres said that food in the military has to be flexible or it can not be used. "It should have a shelf life of five to 10 years, and (be edible) cold or hot," he said.
Food scientists have to be careful, however.
"The egg is a potentially hazardous food," Ackerman said. She explained that because foodborne illnesses such as salmonilla can be caused from eating eggs that are not fresh, the consequences could be severe, or even deadly.
"Today's consumers like food to be more convenient and nutritious and have minimum heat damage, and so the technology is high-pressure processing," he said. "(This technology) has the potential to preserve the quality of foods."
The project cost is around $130,000, but Balasubramaniam said the project was externally sponsored.
Right now the omelet appears to be better than what was previously served in the military, yet it still needs some finishing touches.
"It looks very close to an omelet," Balasubramaniam said. "It looks similar to an egg patty from McDonald's; the attributes don't change much."
This is a huge improvement from the eggs Torres had years ago.
"They were thick and condensed, in about a half an inch wide rectangular squares," he said. "They were bland and the consistency wasn't right. (To eat it) you would tear off chunks (of it), and the texture was unusual."
Ackerman said she thinks the new and improved egg will benefit not just those in the military, but consumers as well.
"I think it would be good for the risk of foodborne illness," she said. "Hospitals and nursing homes already serve (frozen) egg products because of the illness potential with a high-risk population, such as children and the elderly."
The project has taken a year and a half, but Balasubramaniam said it is likely another year and a half will be needed to produce a finished product.
"We want to make sure we have good quality," Balasubramaniam said.
Torres said food choice is important in deployment.
"It is a huge thing to have food that tastes good, especially warm food," Torres said. "For those that eat (military food), variety is very important.
Ironically, Balasubramaniam does not eat eggs, though he said response so far has been good.
"Those who tasted it liked it," he said.
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