Combat-Ready Kitchen: How the U.S. Military Shapes the Way You Eat

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Combat-Ready Kitchen: How the U.S. Military Shapes the Way You Eat Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Anastacia Marx de Salcedo (Author), C.S.E Cooney (Narrator), Tantor Audio (Publisher)

4.2 113 ratings

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You probably don't realize that your supermarket is filled with foods that have a military origin: canned goods, packaged deli meats, TV dinners, cling wrap, energy bars…the list is almost endless. In fact, there's a watered-down combat ration lurking in practically every bag, box, can, bottle, jar, and carton Americans buy. Anastacia Marx de Salcedo shows how the Department of Defense Combat Feeding Directorate plans, funds, and spreads the food science that enables it to produce cheap, imperishable rations. It works with an immense network of university, government, and industry collaborators such as ADM, ConAgra, General Mills, Hershey, Hormel, Mars, Nabisco, Reynolds, Smithfield, Swift, Tyson and Unilever. It's a good deal for both sides: the conglomerates get exclusive patents or a headstart on the next breakthrough technology; the Army ensures that it has commercial suppliers if it ever needs to manufacture millions of rations. And for us consumers, who eat this food originally designed for soldiers on the battlefield? We're the guinea pigs in a giant public health experiment, one in which science and technology, at the beck of the military, have taken over our kitchens.

Listening Length

9 hours and 11 minutes
Author

Anastacia Marx de Salcedo
Narrator

C.S.E Cooney
Audible release date

August 4, 2015
Language

English
Publisher

Tantor Audio
ASIN

B012AUMOUQ
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	9 hours and 11 minutes
Author	Anastacia Marx de Salcedo
Narrator	C.S.E Cooney
Audible.com Release Date	August 04, 2015
Publisher	Tantor Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B012AUMOUQ
Best Sellers Rank	#332,423 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #177 in Military Science #248 in History of Computers & Technology #312 in Agricultural & Food Sciences

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5

113 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

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Josh Bernoff - Bestselling Author and Writing Coach

Great, revealing writing about the history of American food: why we all eat chow

Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2015

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This is a fun book. I also explains in clear detail why all our supermarket food is packaged, processed crap. It was designed to last forever as the army shipped it to soldiers. This book could have been called "Why you eat like a grunt."

Here’s the premise: The armed forces need food. After a fascinating historical romp through feeding soldiers throughout history, we learn that there’s a massive military-nutritional complex. America’s soldiers need to eat, but food doesn’t travel well. So the nation’s food labs (and the Army’s own, in Natick, Massachusetts) gear up to find ways to prepare and package food that can get to the soldiers in massive quantities without tasting too horrible.

There's fun prose in here that reminded me of Michael Pollan. Here's a sample:

Cheese purists the world over exalt their mummified milk. Their silken Goudas and savory Emmentalers. Their fetid fetas and squeaky queso frescos. Their moldy Roqueforts and runny Camemberts. These disks of rotted dairy are the pinnacle of thousands of years of experimentation that began when a herdsman carrying a ruminant’s stomach brimming with milk found that by journey’s end, he had a bag full of curds and whey.

There's a lot of cool trivia in here, like how we all ended up eating "nutrition bars" instead of actual nutrition, and why bread never really gets stale any more. Blame the scientists who feed the US Armed Forces. They were just doing their jobs, but the food industry follows their lead and we all end up eating "meals ready-to-eat."

My full review is on my site bernoff.com

10 people found this helpful

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Crumbley Mumphries

Fascinating and Fun

Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2015

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A thoroughly enjoyable and interesting read. Like Freakonomics or the Omnivore's Dilemma, this book leads you down fascinating paths that you never knew existed and answers questions you never knew to ask. From the ancient history of portable foods (The Mongols had powdered milk? Who knew?) to the modern scientific processes that define much of the food in our supermarkets today, this book covers it all and does so in a fun, engaging way. In particular, I enjoyed the way that Ms. Salcedo weaves in her own experiences in the kitchen as she tries to feed her family as conveniently and yet as healthfully as possible. It makes Combat-Ready Kitchen much more than just a food science book.

2 people found this helpful

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jorgeco83

Thorough research, weak narrative

Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2023

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The author makes a thorough research concerning the history behind the military’s influence in many of the food we consume in a daily basis, however I found that the book has a weak narrative and sometimes you lose yourself with too much detail. Maybe someone with more technical knowledge would enjoy it more, for example chemists, but as a layman I struggled with some of the terminology. It’s an okay book, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected it.

One person found this helpful

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Sam Eaton

Five Star But, definitely technical

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2015

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I agree with both other reviews. The Book is excellent and thought provoking. But, be prepared for technical detail. I am retired Military and spent around a year as a National Guard Cook and have a technical background. I expect that I will be rereading this book from time to time.

I absolutely recommend this book for people with a proper background. Those with out the background, will definitely need to put some effort. I believe that that effort will be well rewarded.

12 people found this helpful

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TV Lord

Interesting but too much detail

Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2015

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The topic of this book is rather interesting, as it describes the influence that the military's innovations have had upon both food and the way we consume it. However, I only give it three stars as I felt like there was often too much detail in each chapter, padding out the book and not necessarily critical. If it was slightly abridged, without me skipping whole chapters or large parts of them, this would easily be a four out of five book.

One person found this helpful

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Crash Mogal

You're in the Army now.

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2015

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Fascinating book describing in detail the symbiotic relationship/cooperation between the olive drab Army and the jolly green giants of the commercial food world. You will find many stories that relate directly to you and your eating habits. Good story telling with no axes to grind.

One person found this helpful

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W Roberts

Ever wondered how that supermarket guacamole stays green?

Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2016

Verified Purchase

An excellent overview of the ways in which the US Army, and specifically Natick Labs, has changed food preservation. Of my two hard copies one was used as a gift and the other is on loan...

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Sandi Pray

... written with just he right mixture of facts and fun facts? The humor was well written and appropriate ...

Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2015

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It is well written with just he right mixture of facts and fun facts? The humor was well written and appropriate for the subject. Makes you wonder what it is that we all eat. Amazing we are all still alive. Better living through chemistry as the old commercial stated. I did enjoy it.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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Robert A.

Very interesting .

Reviewed in Canada on November 26, 2019

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A well written and interesting read for anyone with an interest in either the food industry or the military food supply system.

Robert

Hat nicht gefallen

Reviewed in Germany on January 6, 2021

Verified Purchase

Keine Illustrationen, außerdem umständlich formuliert. Kann dieses Buch nicht empfehlen. Aufgrund meiner vorherigen Feststellung über den Inhalt dieses Buches. Somit nur 1 Stern.

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shayrebel

dont always believe reviews

Reviewed in Australia on August 11, 2020

Verified Purchase

i thought that i was getting a history of rationing in the US military,read the reviews, and was happy to buy,started reading the first couple of chapters,its not what i expected,total,would consign this to a $2 dollar shop were someone who is bored may buy it
not recommended at all