The alligators sunning themselves on Louisiana's Avery Island breathe in air redolent of vinegar, hot peppers and salt-the three ingredients of Tabasco sauce.

The tomato-flavoured "yolk" isfloated in a cocktail of vodka, spices, celery salt and Tabasco, toppedwith a Worcestershire sauce foam and served in an oyster shell.

Each ration pack has an 18-month shelf life and includes a mixture of dry foods and boil-in-the-bag pouches, as well as sachets of seasoning and tiny bottles of Tabasco sauce.