Call number: LD2668 .T4 1965 H75 / Master of Science

Since vegetables are of such importance in the nutrition of human beings, it is natural that they should play a large part in Army feeding. They are high in food value. The different kinds vary widely in their energy values; some-- like potatoes--are high in carbohydrates, others--like lettuce and cucumbers-- are low. Fresh or canned they are high in minerals and vitamins, low in protein and fat, and are valuable for bulk and palatability. When purchasing fresh produce it was necessary to know something of quality, appearance, and texture. Quality is made up of many characteristics-- some external, internal, chemical, and physical. Appearance is concerned with shape, color, freedom from blemishes and dirt. Texture contrasts hard or soft, smooth or granular, stringy and fibrous or free from fiber, crisp or flabby, wilted or tough. The flavor of vegetables is due to several constituents: sugar, organic acids, mineral salts, and aromatic compounds. A combination of these gives flavors that make vegetables palatable and attractive. The nutritive value of a given vegetable depends on the part of the plant to be used, as well, as the variety, climate, soil in which it is grown, conditions of storage, and preparation. The leaf, stem, flower, seed, and fruit are all edible parts. When purchasing vegetables for the Army it was well to know that the initial price was by no means the ultimate cost as there was a wide margin between the cost as purchased and edible-portion cost. Waste in preparation, storage, and losses in the cooking of highly perishable produce would cost six cents per pound as purchased and thirty cents per pound edible portion. The condition of the vegetables when delivered has a great influence on the probable yield. When purchasing canned vegetables, grades were used as purchasing guides. Samples of each grade of produce were requested for testing to find out if the product was satisfactory. The highest grade was not purchased for general use; Grade B or Standard was acceptable for the Army mess. Fresh and frozen vegetables were used largely in Army camps and fields in the United States. Canned and dehydrated products were to be used in combat areas overseas because they were easy to prepare, there was little or no waste, and the nutritive value was fairly well retained. The problem of storage was not difficult, and shipping space was saved when dehydrated food was shipped because of its lightness and lack of bulk. The Army food purchasing officer needed to be familiar with the local vegetable supply and market center facilities. A knowledge of standardizing, grading, packaging, sorting, and transporting produce was necessary in order to purchase food economically and intelligently. Because of uncertainty of crops due to curtailed planting and harvesting occasioned by labor shortages, it was difficult for producers and distributors to cooperate at all times. The Quartermaster's office arranged with local marketing centers for information on prices, substitutions, and quantities of local produce available, several days in advance, so that suitable substitutions could be made on menus if sufficient fresh vegetables were not obtainable. Inspection of all food on delivery was required, and if low grade or unsatisfactory produce was discovered it was returned to the dealers or an adjustment requested. This was done to determine whether or not supplies met the contract requirements for quality and conditions specified by the Army. / Graduation date: 1947

Parasitological and selected microbiological safety aspects of Nham (Thai-style fermented pork sausage) were evaluated. Pork meat from pigs experimentally infected with Trichinella spiralis was divided into 4 portions; 3 portions were frozen at -23°C for 12, 18 and 24 hours before they were made into Nham. The formula for fermented sausage included 3% w/w NaCl and garlic, 0.015% each of NaN0₂ and NaNO₃, and either 1.0 or 1.5% w/w commercial starter culture. Fermentation was at 30°C for 96 hours. The higher level of starter culture resulted in faster acid production but no difference in the maximum number of lactic acid bacteria attained. Infected pork, after being frozen for 24 hours, was still found to cause a low level of parasitism. However, the corresponding fermented samples were noninfective. Use of 1.0% starter culture and 12 hours freezing of meat prior to grinding rendered trichinae larvae noninfective after 2 days of sausage fermentation. Staphylococcus aureus (10³ cells per g) and Escherichia coli (10⁴ cells per g) were introduced into the ground pork in a series of experiments. Starter culture levels used were 0.75% and 1.5% by weight. Fermentation without starter culture stabilized the numbers of E. coli but permitted slow multiplication of S. aureus. Adding starter culture at either level increased the rate of acid production during the initial days, resulting in a faster drop in pH and a decline in numbers of both S. aureus and E. coli. After 36 and 48 hours, viable S. aureus were not recovered from products with 1.5% and 0.75% starter culture, respectively. E. coli disappeared from sausages with 1.5% starter culture after 96 hours but persisted at low numbers when the lower level of starter culture was used. The rapid direct plating technique (RPT) for enumeration of E. coli was compared to the two standard methods generally used: plating on Violet Red Bile Agar (VRBA) and Host Probable Number (MPN). Total coliforms from 43 fermented pork sausages were enumerated. The RPT gave data highly correlated to those from VRBA but with a significantly lower correlation to MPN. The regression line of loglO coliform counts from the RPT and VRBA had a slope of 0.76 and an intercept of 0.98. The MPN assay gave significantly higher (P=0.05) numbers than either the VRBA or the RPT. / Graduation date: 1986

2 pp. / This article provides detailed instructions and information on how to microwave and barbecue a turkey.

Revised; Originally Published: 2007 / 2 pp.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

LD2668 .T4 1949 W49 / Master of Science

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1957 V84 / Master of Science