Soon, ready-to-eat line for armed forces to keep sleep at bay

Paramilitary forces in India are going to have a powerful weapon in their armoury to defeat some of the toughest foes — sleep, hunger and weight of backpacks.

When they are on specific missions that last for several days with little time to sleep, every extra gram in the backpack counts. Mysore-based Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) is developing a ready-to-eat (RTE) food product that could suppress the urge to eat and sleep. “In the West, they use caffeine to keep off sleep. But, we are using extracts from plants to develop the food product that could keep people alert even after having food,” Dr A.S. Bawa, Director of DFRL, told Business Line .

Meanwhile, the laboratory has developed Mini MRE (Meals-Ready-to-Eat) food product with low weight and fewer calories.

“Paramilitary forces are always on the move. They find it difficult to carry heavy loads of food to last the duration of operations. The Mini MRE food product has less weight and provides the basic energy that they require,” Dr Bawa said. The food would ensure satiety while addressing energy needs.

The DFRL would begin trials in various Corps next month. “We will evaluate the results after two-three months of trials. After factoring in feedback from the jawans, the product will be introduced to the rest of the divisions,” he said.

Dr Bawa was here to attend a two-day global symposium on RTE foods.

An arm of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, DFRL develops safe, nutritious, convenience food to meet the needs of services.

Energy bars

Another product the Laboratory has developed is Energy Dense Bars with a shelf-life of six months. “It contains all natural ingredients. Rich in proteins, these bars are available both for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. For non-vegetarians, we have developed chicken bars,” he said.

People could survive three-four days on these bars that would meet nutrition needs. Trials on this product would begin this year.