Survival ration

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A survival ration is food that is intended to ensure a person's survival in an emergency. They are characterized by a high calorie content with low weight and volume and generally have a very long shelf life . They are used in particular by the military and on sea ​​rescue equipment or in the luggage of mountaineers and other athletes.

Survival rations in the German Bundeswehr

In the Bundeswehr , a distinction is made between the survival ration in the narrower sense (officially “food ration, survival”) and the emergency ration (“food package , survival”). The former consists of four bars of compressed carbohydrate of 50 g each. This corresponds to two daily rations, each intended to cover the minimum calorie requirement of a person for one day. Only a mixture of mono-, di-, oligo- and polysaccharides as well as up to 1.5% vegetable fat and a maximum of 6% water are permitted as ingredients . From this it becomes clear that a survival ration is intended exclusively for emergencies and for a short time - for survival. The survival ration is vacuum-sealed and packed in an orange cardboard box. It can be kept for at least ten years. The armed forces' emergency ration packaged in olive green (“food package , survival”) is intended for emergencies where there is access to water. With similar packaging, size and shelf life, the four bars also contain fats and proteins , and water disinfection tablets and two bags of tea extract are also part of the emergency ration .

Whenever possible, instead of the survival or emergency ration, the one-man pack is used for individual catering for the soldiers, and this only if communal catering is not possible or sensible.

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