http://tweentribune.com/tween56/would-you-eat-pizza-was-3-years-old

Would you eat pizza that was 3 years old?

By Rodrique Ngowi | The Associated Press

What's the holy grail of ready-to-eat meals for soldiers? A pizza that can stay on the shelf for as long as three years and still remain good to eat.

Soldiers have been asking for pizza since 1981. That's when lightweight individual field rations replaced canned food.

The food is known as meals ready to eat, or MREs. It's for soldiers in combat zones or areas where field kitchens cannot be set up.

Researchers at a U.S. military lab in Massachusetts are closing in on a recipe that doesn't require any refrigeration or freezing.

"You can basically take the pizza, leave it on the counter, packaged, for three years and it'd still be edible," said Michelle Richardson. She's a food scientist.

Why is pizza such a challenge? Because moisture in tomato sauce, cheese and toppings migrates to the dough over time. This results in soggy pizza that provided the perfect conditions for mold and disease-causing bacteria to grow.

But researchers have found ways to prevent moisture from migrating. Tactics include using ingredients that bind to water and keep it from getting to the dough.

But that alone would not help the pizza remain fresh for three years at 80 degrees. So scientists tweaked the acidity of the sauce, cheese and dough to make it harder for oxygen and bacteria to thrive. They also added iron filings to the package to absorb any air remaining in the pouch.

How does it taste?

David Accetta, a vet and spokesman for the lab, tried the pizza and liked it. He said having food soldiers can relate to and enjoy has added benefits.

"In a lot of cases, when you are cold and tired and hungry, having a hot meal that's something that you like and you would get at home, it increases your morale," Accetta said.

One of the technologists, Dan Nattress, agreed the pizza deserves a thumbs-up.

"It tastes pretty much what you would get from a pizza parlor," he said.