38 The military has requested a new ready-to-eat meal

(MRE) that will provide to troops in the field a very high-protein, low-carbohydrate instant canned breakfast. The can will contain 11 fluid ounces, or 325 mL, of the product. The design specifications are as follows: The drink should have at least 15 grams of protein, no more than 3 grams of fat, no more than 38 grams of carbohydrates, and no more than 310 mg of sodium. To make the drink, a food contractor plans to mix two ingredients it already makes, liquid A and liquid B, together with a new ingredient, liquid protein. The table at the bottom of this page describes the costs and the nutritional makeup of the three ingredients. Determine the least-cost mixture for the new MRE.

COMPOSITION OF THE INGREDIENTS (per liter)
PROTEIN (g) FAT (g) CARBOHYDRATE (g) SODIUM (mg) COST/LITER Liquid A 6 8 147 1770 $3.25 Liquid B 9 12 96 720 $4.50 Liquid protein 230 2 24 320 $28.00