The Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Wednesday presented a new generation of field rations and self-heating Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) backed by a much larger budget that it said reflects its commitment to treating military rank and file better.
Having pledged to increase its budget for field rations and MREs by 250 percent, the ministry displayed the results of its upgrades — eight kinds of Meals Ready to Eat (MRE), including two vegetarian options, and three field ration packs to replace the previous two.
Army Logistics Command Supply Division chief Major General Liu Ya-kuei (劉雅魁) said that MRE rations originally came in 11 flavors, three of which were vegetarian.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The ministry scrapped seven of them and then added four new options, including a pork curry, after consulting with soldiers.
“The new meals have higher water content, making for better taste and texture, and the heating packets that comes with the MREs have also been upgraded,” Liu said.
The packet, which contains calcium carbonate that is to be mixed with water, is larger, allowing meals to be heated and ready to serve in 15 minutes rather than 20.
At the same time, field ration packs, consisting mostly of dry snacks, have been increased to from 800 calories 1,200 calories by increasing the amount of dried meat, dried fruits and candy while reducing the number of cookies.
The three types of packs will also come with an energy drink instead of cereal and instant coffee, making it easier for soldiers to stay hydrated when they have no water at hand, officials said.
The improvements were made to take better care of servicemen when they have no access to proper meals during military exercises, post-disaster relief efforts or in wartime, Liu said.
The new rations were designed by nutritionists and have passed all required food safety checks, the officials said.
The annual budget for field ration packs and MREs is now about NT$130 million (US$4.39 million), up about 261 percent from NT$36 million previously, the ministry said.
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