Meal, ready-to-eat

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An MRE menu with the main meals as well as bread, dessert and the flameless cooker "Ration Heater (FRH)"

The Meal, Ready-to-Eat - commonly known as the MRE - is a self-contained, individual field ration in lightweight packaging that the United States military makes available to its soldiers and personnel for use in combat or other field conditions. This happens if no regular catering is possible in the field kitchen or canteen . It is particularly long-lasting food that can be consumed immediately, similar to a commercially available ready-made meal, which does not need to be specially prepared except for heating and can also be eaten cold. In contrast to the one-man pack used by the German armed forces, a single ration only replaces one meal a day. MREs replaced the cans of MCI or Meal, Combat, Individual Rations in 1981 and are the successor to the lighter "Long Range Patrol" (LRP) ration developed by the US Army for special forces and ranger patrol units in Vietnam . MREs have also been distributed to starving civilians as first aid during natural disasters .

Structure of the MRE menus

The MRE menus essentially consist of the following elements, which take up American eating habits in their culinary focus :

History of field rations

US Army soldiers load MREs into a CH-47 Chinook helicopter (September 2005)

The first rations given to members of the American armed forces were determined by a Congressional resolution during the Revolutionary War . This ration consisted of enough food to feed a man for a day, the main ingredients being beef , peas and rice . During the civil war , the military relied on canned food to make food durable and transportable. Later self-contained kits were given out as a whole ration and contained canned meat , bread , coffee , sugar and salt. During the First World War , canned meat was replaced by light-weight meat (salted or dried) in order to save weight and so that the soldier was able to carry more food rations with him. At the beginning of World War II , a number of new field rations were introduced, including the Mountain Ration and the Jungle Ration . More than 100 million units of canned meat were sent to the Pacific during World War II . The use of canned wet rations continued during the Vietnam War with the improved MCI field ration.

Invention and further development of the MRE

After providing pre-WWII pre-WWII pre-war rations to soldiers, the Department of Defense realized that simply serving a single balanced meal in the field was simply not enough. The soldiers and members of the armed forces, who were in different geographical regions and combat situations around the world, often required different foods and meals that are designed for the corresponding caloric requirements in action and can be preserved over a long period of time and considered tasty. In addition, the individual tastes and religious dietary requirements of the respective consumers were taken into account. Another important aspect of providing food in the combat zone is weight during transport. When using special and infantry units in extreme environments, it is necessary to carry the food rations in field luggage during longer missions. This requires a much lighter alternative to canned food rations of the time.

In 1963, the United States Department of Defense commissioned the development of the meal, Ready to Eat . A food ration was sought that would use modern food preparation and packaging technology to provide an easier substitute for the canned food. In 1966, this led to the development of the Long Range Patrol , or LRP ration, a dehydrated meal in a waterproof cloth bag. As with the jungle ration, the cost compared to canned wet rations, as well as the cost of storage and its limited range of uses, led to further trials being discontinued.

In 1975 work began on a dehydrated meal that was stored in a plastic retort bag. The process was invented by Abdul Rahman. The first menu was invented in 1981 and a limited selection of twelve menus was used in 1986.

Expansion and improvement

Flameless stove "Ration Heater (FRH)" for heating the MRE
MRE No. 23 - broken down into individual components

The MRE have continuously developed since their introduction. In 1990 a flameless cooker "Ration Heater (FRH)" was added to the menu. This heater consists of a water-activated chemical; by adding a certain amount of water an exothermic reaction is brought about. The heat generated during the reaction allows the consumer to heat the menu in the open air.

The flameless stove (heater) generates heat in an electron transfer process called an oxidation-reduction reaction . Water oxidizes the magnesium according to the following chemical reaction: 

   Mg + 2H 2 O → Mg (OH) 2 + H 2 [+ Wärme (q)]

This reaction is analogous to the rusting of iron by oxygen and proceeds at about the same rate, which is of course too slow to produce usable heat. To accelerate the reaction, metallic iron particles and table salt (NaCl) are added to the magnesium particles.

Iron and magnesium metals thus form galvanic cells that generate electricity. When water is added to the heater, it dissolves the salt into a salt water electrolyte, turning the magnesium and iron particles into tiny electrodes . As the magnesium and iron particles come into contact with each other, they become thousands of tiny, short-circuited primary cells that quickly discharge and generate the heat required for cooking. The heater uses 7.5 g of a powdered magnesium-iron alloy. This consists of 95% magnesium and 5% iron, 0.5 g salt and an anti-foam agent. With the addition of 30 milliliters of water, this 230 (?) Gram mixture can heat up to about 38 ° C in about 10 minutes .

In a series of field tests and surveys, consumers asked for more main dishes and larger portions. In 1994 graphics and pictures were added to make the packages more user-friendly and engaging. Biodegradable materials and components such as spoons and napkins were also introduced. The number of menus was increased to 16 (including vegetarian options ) by 1996 . In 1997 the menus were expanded to 20 and in 1998 to 24. Today the system includes 24 menus and more than 150 additional items.

The menus were packed in a dark brown outer cover from 1981 to 1995, as they were intended for use in the temperate forests and plains of Central Europe. In 1996 the brown outer shells were replaced by a light brown outer bag, which was better suited for use in the deserts of the Middle East.

More recently, the MRE menus have been developed using the Recommended Daily Allowance created by the National Academy of Medicine . The consumers studied (soldiers in training and combat missions who were classified as very active men between the ages of 18 and 30) usually require around 4200 calories (kcal) per day. In some situations, however, consumers tended to only consume around 2400 calories, while a day spent in combat, for example, can end up in a negative energy balance. This imbalance occurs when consumers fail to use up all of their rations, even though the composition of the food and the amount of micronutrients covers the full daily ration. Studies show that many consumers still do not meet today's standards of daily consumption and often give away or throw away parts of their rations. The researchers continue to study the eating habits and preferences of consumers, the study encourages eating the entire MRE meal in order to get the full nutritional values.

In addition, the military has experimented with new MRE ration prototypes, such as: B. the First Strike Ration . This special menu has been adapted to the calorie needs of special forces in action. These special menus are lighter than the typical MRE and do not require any preparation. The optimization of the menus and their nutritional composition are especially designed for short-term, highly stressful combat operations. In July 2009 6,300 milkshake packages were recalled due to contamination with salmonella .

Each meal contains around 1200 calories (5020 kJ). They can be consumed for a maximum of 21 days (assuming that logistics units can deliver fresh food rations by then) and have a minimum shelf life of three years (depending on the storage conditions).

The requirements for packaging are strict. MREs must be able to withstand parachute drops from 380 meters. The packaging must have a minimum shelf life of three and a half years at 27 ° C, nine months at 38 ° C and a short shelf life of −51 ° C to −60 ° C. New forms of packaging are being considered to better meet these needs, including the use of zein to replace the foil.

Each MRE weighs between 510 and 740 grams, depending on the menu. Because MREs contain water, they weigh more than freeze-dried meals of equivalent nutritional value.

It wasn't until 2018 that the pizza , which had been in demand for decades, was included in the troop catering in the form of an MRE. For this, both the moisture content and the pH value of all ingredients had to be adjusted until they were the same. In order to bind excess oxygen, it was decided to put iron powder in a bag on the inside of the packaging. The number 23 began to be used by the US Army in autumn 2018.

Observance of religious dietary regulations with MRE

The Humanitarian Daily Ration (HDR), specially designed for refugees and starving civilians

For members of the military with strict religious or dietary requirements , the military offers the MRE rations as kosher and halal . These two MRE rations are tailored to the same nutrient content, but do not contain any prohibited ingredients. Kosher appetizers are labeled "Kosher" in Hebrew and English , while Halal appetizers are labeled "Halal" in Arabic and English. In order to meet the food regulations, the packages are packed in two separate boxes and only delivered in kosher or halal packaging (the two special types of rations are never mixed in one shipping box).

The original kosher meals were only served with beef, chicken, and salmon. Today's meals are now offered in the variations with beef, lamb, chicken, vegetarian and pasta dishes. The main courses are a mix of traditional Middle Eastern and Southwest Asian dishes (such as lamb and vegetables ("Jalfrezi") or curry chicken with basmati rice, lentils and vegetables) and Western dishes such as ratatouille with vegetables or lasagna or New Orleans gumbo with chicken . Each menu contains an average of 1200 kilocalories and has a shelf life of three to ten months.

The Humanitarian Daily Ration (HDR) is a self-contained halal meal designed to be given to refugees and starving people. The calorie requirement was put together so that a single person is supplied for a whole day. The menus should be compatible and tasty for as many religious and cultural tastes as possible around the world. To achieve this goal, no animal products, alcoholic or alcohol-based products, and minimal dairy products are used in their manufacture.

The daily humanitarian ration is labeled and packaged differently than MREs. The feedback from the Afghanistan campaign meant that the inner packaging was strengthened, as the packages often broke when dropped from aircraft. The outer pocket is tinted with a highly visible red or yellow and has an American flag and a picture of a person eating from the pocket with a spoon printed on it. Instructions are usually printed in English or in several local languages.

Criticism of civil use

Mardi Gras visitor in a self-made costume made from MRE bags ( New Orleans 2006)

MREs were also distributed to civilians during natural disasters . In 2004 and 2012, the National Guard distributed MRE rations as part of the relief effort to those affected by the floods of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy .

The use of MRE rations for civilian use has been called into question because the calorie requirement is directed at soldiers fighting or working in combat situations. While the nutritional conditions of the MRE rations are suitable for combat environments where the soldiers burn lots of calories and lose lots of sodium through sweat. The high-fat portions (on average around 52 grams of fat and 5 grams of trans fats ) and the high salt content are not suitable for sedentary or less strenuous activities.

Menu composition according to years

The composition of the MRE menus is sorted by year of production:

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Vegetarian dish

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Mason, VC, Meyer, AV, Klicka, MV: Summary of Operational Rations , Natick, MA: US Army Natick Research & Development Laboratory Technical Report TR-82/013 (June 1982): "The MRE was officially type-classified for adoption in 2000 bc but due to budget cuts was not officially placed into production until 1981; stocks of the MCI continued to be issued until exhausted. "
  2. ^ Spam Turns 80: History and Origins of Canned Meat . In: Time . Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  3. ↑ Lisa Burgess: MRES: it could be worse (and it was) In: stripes.com , March 16, 2008, accessed February 16, 2018.
  4. ↑ a b c MRE info . Retrieved April 20, 2008.
  5. ^ Dan Scott: Hot Meals . Chem Matters. February 1992. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  6. ↑ Marc Lamensdorf: "Flameless heater and method of making same", published 1997-03-18, assigned to Truetech, Inc. (US patent 5611329)
  7. ^ Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intake
  8. ↑ a b Don Martin: Anatomy of an MRE In: crazyguyonabike.com , accessed on February 16, 2018.
  9. ^ Institute of Medicine (US). Committee on Optimization of Nutrient Composition of Military Rations for Short-Term, High-Stress Situations, Nutrient composition of rations for short-term, high-intensity combat operations pp. 15-27.
  10. ↑ MRE Dairy Shake Recall In: mreinfo.com , accessed on February 16, 2018.
  11. ↑ Peggy Milhelich: Grub, chow, mystery meat - combat food 2.0 . CNN.com. September 13, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2007.
  12. ^ Food & Beverage Packaging - Market Insights to Packaging Solutions
  13. ↑ Don Martin: Anatomy of an MRE . Neil Gunton. February 24, 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
  14. ↑ Dave Philipps, "A Breakthrough for US Troops: Combat-Ready Pizza" New York Times, September 20, 2018
  15. ^ Meal, Religious, Kosher / Halal factsheet ( Memento from July 16, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) by the Defense Logistics Agency