July 24, 2004

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  Army rations rehydrated by urine

  19:00 21 July 04

  Exclusive from New Scientist Print Edition.

  Would you eat food cooked in your own urine? Food scientists working for the US military have developed a dried food ration that troops can hydrate by adding the filthiest of muddy swamp water or even peeing on it.

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  The aim is to reduce the amount of water soldiers need to carry. One day's food supply of three meals, weighs 3.5 kilograms but that can be reduced to about 0.4 kilograms with the dehydrated pouches.

  
  

  Hydration Technology of Albany, Oregon, says soldiers should only use urine in an absolute emergency.

  
  

  The body will not find this toxic over the short term, says Ed Beaudry, an engineer with HTI, but rehydrating food this way in the long term would cause kidney damage.

  
  

  Recommended by cooling1018

  
  

   

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