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"Mexican" rice - recipe changes 2005-2006
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 10:51 am
by Richard w.
I was sorting some sides that I keep in my desk at the office, and noticed two different "Nutrition Facts" tables on these boxes. The ingredients are a little different, too. The Wornick version was packaged on 18 Jan. 2005(5018) and the Sopakco on 2 Jan. 2006 (6002).
I just ate both of these, side by side, to compare them. As might be expected, I liked the one with more salt, calories, and fat (Wornick) a little better, but both are excellent side dishes.
I'm very interested in learning more about why recipes such as these are changed. Is it just that Wornick and Sopakco have different, proprietary recipes that they don't share with each other? Is it all directed by Natick? Was this an attempt to improve the dish's nutrition?
Anyone have any insider's insight into the process?
Re: "Mexican" rice - recipe changes 2005-2006
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 2:35 pm
by mreheater72
Richard w. wrote:I was sorting some sides that I keep in my desk at the office, and noticed two different "Nutrition Facts" tables on these boxes. The ingredients are a little different, too. The Wornick version was packaged on 18 Jan. 2005(5018) and the Sopakco on 2 Jan. 2006 (6002).
Here somemore variants:
2001 (1228) Ameriqual Foods 220 calories
2003 (3035) Ameriqual Foods 210 calories
2004 (4246) SoPakCo 210 calories
So long mreheater72
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:34 pm
by Richard w.
Thank you for posting your variants.
Once they've got a dish accepted by the government, I wonder what would prompt them to change their formula.
Make it cheaper? Improve the flavor?
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 10:13 pm
by kman
Nice bit of detective work, guys - I love all the Mexican Rice variant pics.
As for why some ingredients are different than others, I don't think Natick specifies actual recipes. As far as I can tell, it's up to the individual producers to come up with their own recipes. The only guides I've been able to find are the monographs listed here:
http://www.dscp.dla.mil/subs/support/qa ... mono-a.asp
And here's the one for Mexican Rice:
http://www.dscp.dla.mil/subs/support/qa ... pa/m3b.pdf
All that PDF really says is this:
ITEM: Rice, Mexican, Type II
NSN: 8940-01-400-4093
ITEM SPECIFICATION MIL-R-44482
PCR-R-001
APPROX CALORIC VALUE: 158 kcals
CHARACTERISTICS OF ITEM:
Appearance: off white grains, with a reddish-brown coating; grains shall be distinct; small pieces of jalapeno pepper
Odor: spicy, typical of Mexican type seasonings
Flavor: spicy Mexican type seasonings with a jalapeno pungency
Texture: soft grains of rice
DEFECTS LIKELY TO OCCUR:
Appearance: darkening of grains and coating
Odor: scorched, rancid, slight loss of odor
Flavor: scorched, rancid, slight loss of flavor and pungency
Texture: grains excessively hard
SPECIAL NOTES:
If upon opening the above characteristics are not apparent when products is cold, heat the product in boiling water or in a saucepan for several minutes before inspection. The product must be serviceable in the cold and heated state.
Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:29 am
by Richard w.
Boy- Those links are great.
I see that the milspec calls it "Rice, Mexican, Type II" (LOL!), so there must have been a "Type I", too.
That link to the big list cleared up a few things I've been wondering about for years.
I never knew what "Thai sauce" in the Chicken in Thai Sauce meal was supposed to be, and now I know (garlic, ginger, soy).