1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:05,010 --> 00:00:07,121 My name is Danielle Freyo Bloomsock , 3 00:00:07,121 --> 00:00:09,177 and I'm a materials engineer here on 4 00:00:09,177 --> 00:00:11,177 the combat feeding division , and I 5 00:00:11,177 --> 00:00:13,609 work on um development and research for 6 00:00:13,609 --> 00:00:14,665 ration packaging . 7 00:00:25,500 --> 00:00:27,909 The current packaging for the MRE is in 8 00:00:27,909 --> 00:00:30,020 these foil based pouches that you see 9 00:00:30,020 --> 00:00:32,389 here . They're really good at keeping 10 00:00:32,389 --> 00:00:34,500 oxygen and water vapor out because it 11 00:00:34,500 --> 00:00:36,722 has a foil layer , which is pretty much 12 00:00:36,722 --> 00:00:39,409 impermeable . And currently , or um 13 00:00:39,409 --> 00:00:41,409 over the past , I don't know , 1520 14 00:00:41,409 --> 00:00:43,520 years , there's been no other package 15 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:45,465 that's able to meet our shelf life 16 00:00:45,465 --> 00:00:47,687 requirements other than the foil . Uh , 17 00:00:47,687 --> 00:00:49,798 but more recently there have been new 18 00:00:49,798 --> 00:00:52,020 technologies that look at applying high 19 00:00:52,020 --> 00:00:54,187 barrier coatings onto just a simple uh 20 00:00:54,187 --> 00:00:56,409 polyester , which is what you find like 21 00:00:56,409 --> 00:00:58,631 a Coke bottle onto films , and it gives 22 00:00:58,631 --> 00:01:00,742 it really good oxygen and water vapor 23 00:01:00,742 --> 00:01:02,742 transmission rates . In addition to 24 00:01:02,742 --> 00:01:02,689 that , it also gives you a 30% weight 25 00:01:02,689 --> 00:01:04,856 reduction . So when you're thinking of 26 00:01:04,856 --> 00:01:06,967 just a single pouch , it's really not 27 00:01:06,967 --> 00:01:09,133 all that much , it's just maybe a gram 28 00:01:09,133 --> 00:01:11,300 or two of material , but when you look 29 00:01:11,300 --> 00:01:13,411 at the annual procurement of how many 30 00:01:13,411 --> 00:01:15,522 MREs the army purchases , it actually 31 00:01:15,522 --> 00:01:17,633 ends up to be tons of packaging waste 32 00:01:17,633 --> 00:01:19,633 that we're able to reduce . So this 33 00:01:19,633 --> 00:01:21,856 other project here again is focusing on 34 00:01:21,856 --> 00:01:23,745 reducing . weight , but these are 35 00:01:23,745 --> 00:01:25,856 non-retort items , so these are items 36 00:01:25,856 --> 00:01:27,800 that don't have to go through that 37 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:30,022 retort process to sterilize it . So the 38 00:01:30,022 --> 00:01:32,245 demands aren't quite as stringent as it 39 00:01:32,245 --> 00:01:34,189 is with the retort pouch . And for 40 00:01:34,189 --> 00:01:36,356 these , we're looking at a new type of 41 00:01:36,356 --> 00:01:35,730 packaging format , something that 42 00:01:35,730 --> 00:01:37,786 you're probably familiar with in the 43 00:01:37,786 --> 00:01:40,008 grocery store . So this is a fin seal . 44 00:01:40,008 --> 00:01:42,174 You probably see a lot of granola bars 45 00:01:42,174 --> 00:01:44,230 in the grocery store that are packed 46 00:01:44,230 --> 00:01:46,341 this way . And by packing the food in 47 00:01:46,341 --> 00:01:48,508 this way , we're able to save a lot on 48 00:01:48,508 --> 00:01:48,139 packaging . You can see just the 49 00:01:48,139 --> 00:01:50,389 surface area of the package , and this 50 00:01:50,389 --> 00:01:52,620 is a 50% weight reduction going from 51 00:01:52,620 --> 00:01:55,699 just foil to a non-foil in the smaller 52 00:01:55,699 --> 00:01:57,866 format . And then for this one it's an 53 00:01:57,866 --> 00:02:00,099 even greater reduction in weight . This 54 00:02:00,099 --> 00:02:02,321 is an 80% reduction in weight , so this 55 00:02:02,321 --> 00:02:04,940 is a granola bar type product , but 56 00:02:04,940 --> 00:02:07,419 inside of this foil package here is 57 00:02:07,419 --> 00:02:09,586 another package . So it's actually two 58 00:02:09,586 --> 00:02:11,919 packages in one , replacing it with one . 59 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:14,240 And this uses a similar technology as 60 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:17,160 the retort items here where it's a high 61 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:19,104 barrier coding that's applied to a 62 00:02:19,104 --> 00:02:22,020 polyester based film . So , here again , 63 00:02:22,100 --> 00:02:25,380 we're we're saving on um packaging by 64 00:02:25,380 --> 00:02:27,547 using a lighter weight package and one 65 00:02:27,547 --> 00:02:28,490 that's smaller as well .