Amazon.com Inc is exploring a technology first developed for the US military to produce tasty prepared meals that do not need refrigeration, as it looks for new ways to muscle into the 700 billion dollars US grocery business.

亚马逊公司正在探索最初由美国军方研制的一种技术，用于生产无需冷藏又美味的即食食品。这家世界最大的在线零售商正寻求进入规模达7000亿美元的美国杂货市场的新方法。

The world's biggest online retailer¹ has discussed selling ready-to-eat dishes, such as beef stew² and a vegetable frittata, as soon as next year, officials at the firm marketing³ the technology said.

推广这项技术的公司的官员称，亚马逊已探讨过最早明年开始出售炖牛肉、蔬菜烘蛋等即食菜肴。

The pioneering food-prep tech, known as microwave assisted thermal⁴ sterilization⁵, was developed by researchers at Washington State University, and is being brought to market by a venture-backed startup called 915 Labs, based in Denver.

这项开创性的食品制备技术名为微波辅助热灭菌，由华盛顿州立大学的研究人员开发，正由位于丹佛的获风投支持的初创企业915实验室推向市场。

The method involves placing sealed packages of food in pressurized water and heating them with microwaves for several minutes, according to 915 Labs.

915实验室表示，该技术将密封的包装食品泡在高压水中，用微波加热几分钟。

The dishes retain their natural flavor and texture⁶, the company said.

该公司称，这类菜肴能保持自然的风味和口感。

They also can sit on a shelf for a year, which would make them suitable for Amazon's storage and delivery business model.

此外，他们还有着长达一年的保质期，这使其适合亚马逊的仓储配送商业模式。