Product Improvement Test (Category II), Mess Tray, Plastic, 5-Compartment

Studies revealed that deterioration of the surface of plastic trays led to difficulty in cleaning and resulted in retention of food and moisture after normal mechanical washing. This is considered by The Surgeon General as being a potential health problem. In this connection, the plastic industry announced that a new surface treatment had been developed for plastic dinnerware, including the 5-compartment plastic mess tray, which in the industry's opinion, would overcome the occurrence of severe knife cutting, degradation, and unsightly appearance observed in the standard plastic tray after short periods of use. Tests were performed to determine: The resistance of the new plastic tray to knife cutting and degradation during normal use conditions; If the mess tray surface is sufficiently durable to permit proper cleansing of the trays after prolonged use under normal conditions; Troop and mess personnel preference for standard and experimental plastic compartmented mess trays; and the service life of the experimental plastic compartmented trays under normal use conditions.