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#233916 - 10/18/11 03:50 PM Re: Powdered food? [Re: firefly99]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
It is hard to say categorically what sort of food will be unsuitable during a disaster. Canned goods are heavy, dehydrated and powdered foods require water, time, and perhaps somewhat elaborate cooking arrangements, wild foods may not be in season, etc, etc.

The best approach seems to have a bit of each on hand. My preferred approach is to bug in, so I have lots of canned goods. That's OK as long as I stay put or can leave by vehicle. I also have some freeze dried/dehydrated/powdered items, which I regularly consume on backpacking trips anyway, as well as a stock of energy bars and other "MRE" items.

In a prolonged situation, all of the above will be handy at one time or another.
_________________________
Geezer in Chief

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#233928 - 10/18/11 07:25 PM Re: Powdered food? [Re: dweste]
Susan Offline
Geezer

Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
Powdered food has a few problems, as far as I'm concerned:

* It is highly processed, which can affect nutrition in a time when you really need nutrition. For example, flours may last 6-12 months, whole grains a lot longer.

* It has more surface area exposed to air and light, which reduces livespan and nutrients. Even if it's sealed in the ideal container, how long did it take to get there? What did it lose in the meantime?

* The need for water for reconstituting and digesting it.

* Destruction of nutritional content, molding in poor packaging.

* Refrigeration may help extend life --- don't have refrigeration under survival conditions?

Smaller containers of powdered foods are probably acceptable for adding to other foods (eggs, flours, spices, etc), but large containers are probably a false economy for a small family.

Sue

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#233930 - 10/18/11 08:11 PM Re: Powdered food? [Re: Susan]
Am_Fear_Liath_Mor Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 08/03/07
Posts: 3078
Quote:
* It is highly processed, which can affect nutrition in a time when you really need nutrition. For example, flours may last 6-12 months, whole grains a lot longer.


Grains such as wheat will last a great deal longer than the milled flour, but you will need the equipment to mill the wheat grain into flour. Hand milling (lets assume that domestic electrically powered milling machines are unavailable i.e. no electricity supply) is quite a tiring chore in an emergency situation. Vacuum sealing powdered foods and kept in a dry cool environment will keep for more than 12 months. Rotation as part of normal kitchen preparation of food is required as with all food stuffs (with the possible exception of very expensive canned freeze dried food stuffs)

Quote:
* The need for water for reconstituting and digesting it.


The amount of water to reconstitute the powdered ingredients for baking is actually very small in comparison to the amount of water required for digesting the prepare bread and cake. Soups, milk etc does require substantially more water, but if water is such short supply then the general advice is not to eat anything.

Quote:
* It has more surface area exposed to air and light, which reduces livespan and nutrients. Even if it's sealed in the ideal container, how long did it take to get there? What did it lose in the meantime?


Quote:
* Destruction of nutritional content, molding in poor packaging.


Powdered foods require a little more attention when stored for the medium term such as a dark/low moisture/cool temperature environment together with air tight/pest resistant storage bins/containers.


Freshly baked bread - spoils in 3 days - ready to eat.

Frozen bread - 3 months - needs refrigeration and defrosting.

Wheat Flours - spoils 12+ months - needs some kitchen and baking equipment.

Wheat Grain - 5-10+ years. - needs specialist kitchen and baking equipment.

The ability to produce freshly baked bread 3-4 months into a long term emergency cannot be underestimated.


Edited by Am_Fear_Liath_Mor (10/18/11 08:22 PM)

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#233945 - 10/19/11 01:22 AM Re: Powdered food? [Re: dweste]
Susan Offline
Geezer

Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
You can also cook whole grains as they are. It might be bland and get boring, but the nutrition is there.

For commercially processed powdered food, of course, there may be a higher protein content from the now-invisible food pests, also ground up. 8-/

And for me, the bottom line is: Why bother with powdered food if something else is available?

Sue

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#233950 - 10/19/11 02:24 AM Re: Powdered food? [Re: dweste]
LesSnyder Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 1680
Loc: New Port Richey, Fla
a minimum amount of research has come up with the following non meat sources of complete proteins, containing all of the necessary amino acids... what am I missing?

soy protein
quinona
powdered milk

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#233951 - 10/19/11 02:44 AM Re: Powdered food? [Re: dweste]
Susan Offline
Geezer

Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
Amaranth grain
Eggs
Buckwheat
Hemp seed
Spirulina, but I don't think you can process this at home.

Also, combine within one or two days for complete protein:
Beans + grain
Beans + seeds
Beans + nuts

If you're using soy, make sure it is from an organic source; there are a lot of questions about genetically-modified (GM) soy, and about 85% of the soy grown in the U.S. is GM.

Sue

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#233952 - 10/19/11 03:01 AM Re: Powdered food? [Re: dweste]
dweste Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 02/16/08
Posts: 2463
Loc: Central California
Nice to see everyone getting into the spirit of things!

The powdered food I am most interested in is that I produce myself from dehydrated stuff. No preservatives, additives, etcetera, except perhaps a little salt. Frozen to kill bugs. Vacuum sealed in relatively small containers / bags with oxygen and water absorbers. Stored in the proverbial cool, dry place. Rotated out and eaten by at least 12 months.

Because I cannot figure out how to dry and powder some things, like milk, I also am interested in some commercial powdered foods.

This is just part of a solution, but because you can control a lot of the contents, I think powdered foods, especially DIY stuff, deserve consideration.

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#233953 - 10/19/11 03:06 AM Re: Powdered food? [Re: LesSnyder]
Am_Fear_Liath_Mor Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 08/03/07
Posts: 3078

Oats would be a replacement for quinona and soy protein.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oats

As half of world production of soy protein is from GMO sources contamination is a real possibility.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5119.cfm

Quote:
"Mice that were fed by protein from GM soy demonstrated different behaviour. Some of the females in the GM soy group suffocated their young and then ate their brains. And it is also very sad that we identified abnormalities in the young mice whose mothers were fed on GM soy," said Maria Konovalova.


I think I'll stick with the oats



Even if you have to end up wearing a skirt.. wink

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#233959 - 10/19/11 03:55 AM Re: Powdered food? [Re: dweste]
firefly99 Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 05/28/06
Posts: 58
Originally Posted By: dweste
I suggest you consider the range and type of disasters before coming to such an absolute conclusion.

I mentioned flooding in my previous post. The irony of flooding is you had so much water but it is not potable.

Originally Posted By: dweste
By the way, you do have an emergency food plan that includes lots of water, don't you?

I do have a plan that included enough water to last 72hours. Storing more water would not be possible.

Originally Posted By: dweste
And if polluted water is likely to become your only source, you have filters and other treatments lined up to allow you to process such water for consumption, don't you?
I do have some water filter for normal hiking / camping uses. However, it is beyond these device to deal with flood water which is contaminated with raw sewage / toxic petrochemical / floating corpse, etc.

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#233968 - 10/19/11 05:37 AM Re: Powdered food? [Re: firefly99]
dweste Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 02/16/08
Posts: 2463
Loc: Central California
Originally Posted By: firefly99
I do have some water filter for normal hiking / camping uses. However, it is beyond these device to deal with flood water which is contaminated with raw sewage / toxic petrochemical / floating corpse, etc.


This looks like a good start for a new thread!

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