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Sunday 15 March 2015

Shelf Stable Meals Are A Convenient And Tasty Alternative To Refrigerated Food

By Lena Stephenson


Occasionally it happens that there is no access to a refrigerator, but a supply of simple to use food is needed. Shelf stable meals are made from foods that would ordinarily have to be refrigerated, but have been processed in such a way that they can be safely kept at a regular room temperature. Storage in a special sealed container is required however.

Due to their ability to be safely kept at room temperature, also called ambient temperature, this type of meal can also be referred to as ambient food. They are able to be used in a wide variety of was as a result of not requiring refrigeration. Common usage of this kind of food varies from pure convenience to use as emergency supplies.

The majority of food prepared in this way has the advantage of a very long shelf life. Because of this they are well-suited to be used as a food source during emergencies. They can be purchased although they are not required yet and kept in storage for situations where food is not easy to get and preparation is difficult.

If used correctly, pre-prepared meals that do not need to be refrigerated can be very handy and even prevent starvation in an emergency. An example of this would be if people have to take shelter due to a flood, heavy snowfall, tornado activity or a hurricane. Under these conditions, food that does not have to be refrigerated and has a long shelf life, is a ideally suited to serve as emergency rations.

Another application in which these food kits are used extensively is when military personnel are deployed in a field situation. This deployment may be on a training exercise or in a live combat or defense role. Either way, access to refrigeration is likely to be a problem so ready-made food that can be stored, transported and used without requiring refrigeration are very useful as a way to feed troops in the field.

Meals that can be stored and room temperature are very useful for older people. A lot of residents in nursing or retirement homes do not have easy access to a kitchen or other food preparation area. Even if the facilities are available, elderly people often do not feel like cooking and preparing food every day.

Food kits can be used simply for convenience, not only in the specialized applications described before. Keeping a few packed away in a grocery cupboard or pantry can be a good backup plan in case the power goes out, or the store has closed and there isn't much food at home to cook. A couple of ready meals can be taken out and microwaved, or even eaten cold in the case of a power outage.

In previous years, some of these meals gained a reputation for being bland and having a very poor taste, but technological advances in food preparation have made this unnecessary. Sadly, some below-par, bad tasting food is still manufactured by certain careless companies. But fortunately there are also companies out there that make good tasting meals from quality ingredients that can be stored without refrigeration.




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