As announced before and now it’s finally confirmed, the much requested Pizza MRE should be on its way to soldiers soon. Long clamored to be part of the MRE menu since the 1980s, the big challenge in making one is one that can last for three years without getting soggy and maintaining its flavour. Futhermore, it can be eaten either cold or heated. Previous attempts at making one proved that it was hard to make one using traditional pizza ingredients.

The Combat Feeding Directorate (CFD) at the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center used a combination of technologies involving water activity, pH levels and innovative packaging to a pizza that is shelf stable. With the help CFD problems of mass producing the Pizza MRE was also resolved.

According to Stephen Moody, the director of the CFD, the Pizza MRE should be available at some locations by the end of the year and the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support say it will be available to most troops within 18 months.  In a report by Matthew Wilcox of Military.com, the Pizza MRE includes the following:

• Pepperoni Pizza
• Cherry blueberry cobbler
• Cheese spread with cheddar and jalapeno cheese
• Italian bread sticks
• Cookies
• Chocolate protein drink powder

Photo: MRE Pepperoni Pizza (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by David Kamm, NSRDEC)

Wilcox quotes Jeremy Whitsitt, deputy director of the Defense Department's Combat Feeding Directorate who said that, "You know, for a pizza that has to last for at least three years ... it's pretty stinking good. Whenever we have sampled it with people, the primary comment that comes back is, 'Hey, it tastes like the pizza I had last night that I put in the fridge."

Whilst the priority is to make the MRE available to servicemen and women in the following months, we look forward to the day when civilians will be able to have access to the Pizza MRE. It’s something we want in our backpacks for the next Mealsim, errr… Milsim event.

Top photo: Soldiers try the Pizza MRE in 2014. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by David Kamm, NSRDEC)