Troops are to get new food rations on operations as a range of new menu trials get under way with soldiers.
The Multi Climate Ration (MCR) trial sees the introduction of 20 new trial menus for general use on the front line in hot weather environments plus six new menus for halal, vegetarian and Sikh/Hindu variants.The design of the trial MCR packs has been heavily influenced by feedback from personnel in all three Services including direct input from troops who have experienced eating Operational Ration Packs for long periods on operational deployments in severe and demanding conditions. Food selection panels were conducted in May 2008 to select products for the new MCR. The Multi Climate Menu trials aim to address the forces' concerns for the long term and will provide a number of varied and nutrional food items to meet the needs of troops in the harsh Afghanistan and Iraq environments. Launching the Multi Climate Rations trials, Lt Gen Dick Applegate, Chief of Materiel Land said: 'Food is vitally important to the morale of our Armed Forces, especially whilst deployed on operations. One of the most important requirements is to provide increased variety to troops operating for long periods on rations which will help reduce menu fatigue. These new menus have been developed to meet the needs of service personnel operating in the extreme climates of Afghanistan and Iraq, providing them with a range of nutritionally balanced meals.' Defence Food Services project leader, Captain Paul Cunningham said: 'The food served to our soldiers, sailors and airmen is well-balanced, nutritious and plentiful and, in the main camps, the majority of our troops eat freshly prepared hot and cold meals, cooked by professional skilled chefs, using a wide range of commercial rations including fresh fruit and vegetables. However, in the remote areas in Afghanistan and Iraq, away from the main camps, it is not always possible to provide meals cooked by chefs from raw ingredients. Under these circumstances we currently provide a range of ten general purpose (or 5 vegetarian, halal, Sikh Hindu) ration packs that are issued with supplements to reflect the weather. 'The new Multi Climate Ration trial will double the amount of available menus and remove the need for supplements. We have lots of new items in the rations and I am convinced these will be very popular with our troops.' The new range of menus will be sent to Iraq and Afghanistan for summer 2009. The Multi Climate trial will help inform the long term future of menus for ration packs in hot climates for summer 2010 and beyond.
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