Operational Ration Packs of the British Armed Forces Starters Mains Deserts Foreword 24 Hour Frequently asked Questions Current expeditionary military operations, Designed to meet the religious and cultural requirements Who establishes the nutritional guidelines Document outline 20 menus. A: menus 1-10, B: menus 11-20 for the range of Operational Rations? Introduction 10 Man Can I buy ORP off the shelf? UK military rations, Hobby chefs, Main types & other variants Feeding 10 men for one day, 5 main menus What is the shelf life of ORP? Selecting Components for ORP 24 Hr Jungle Ration Are the rations gluten and/or nut free? Shelf Life, Nutritional Content, With additional supplements and a Requirements for Macronutrients, Protein Flameless Ration Heater Why does the ORP have so much packaging? Security of Supply Chain Cold Climate Ration Why are Vegetarian/Halal/Sikh/Hindu/ Country of origin, EC approved Food Safety Standards, Lightweight high calorie 24 Hr ration Kosher rations available? Rigorous auditing Why can’t I get a Mars Bar/Snickers/ Food Selection Panel 12 Hr ORP Coke in the ration? Blind tasting. Nine point Hedonic Scale Designed for patrolling Who decides what to put in the rations? The Current Range of Operational Hexamine Cooker Where do the components for the Rations Packs and Fuel rations come from? Retort pouches, Snacks Managed supply Where can I get a list of the menus from? Pallet Configuration Emergency Flying & What if I have an idea for a Outer box dimensions Survival Rations new product for the rations? Managed supply Foreword Current expeditionary military operations and exercises require a flexible range of rations to meet the cognitive, nutritional and energy needs of the serviceman and woman in the field. Military operations, including planned exercises, routinely take place all over the world, in a variety of climates and theatres. The Defence Food Services (DFS), based in Abbey Wood, Bristol, is responsible for the research and development, Quality Assurance, field-testing, evaluation, and high level management of the current supply chain of UK military rations. These rations not only provide vital sustenance but also they are a key factor in the maintenance of good morale for troops who are working and living in often austere and hazardous conditions. Military operations can take place anywhere in the world and at any time of the year. DFS must ensure that the military rations, contain components that can be stored at ambient temperature for a specified period of time. in a temperate climate. These rations may also be stored for short periods in extremes of temperature and humidity, and the components must be suitable for these varying conditions. Account must be made of this when these components are sourced for the ORP. DFS has a responsibility to react rapidly in support of military operations. It is therefore necessary for DFS to hold reserve stocks of ORP. For this reason, it is vital that the ORP has a shelf life of not less than 24 months. It is also a further requirement that DFS shall alter or change the packaging configuration of individual components or the outer boxes, and trial, design and produce other types of ration configuration at short notice. This document outlines the full range of operational rations, including the 24 Hour and 10 Man ORP, as well as the more specialist rations including Cold Climate and Jungle rations, emergency and survival rations. Detailed information on the functional characteristics, nutritional content and preparation, including any specialist packaging requirements, are given for each type. Introduction Military operations can take place anywhere in the world and at any time of the of being utilised by Service Personnel with no formal catering training. When the year. The DFS must ensure that UK military rations, in the form of ORP, contain situation allows, 10 Man ORP is supplemented by a range of other basic provisions, components that can be stored at ambient temperature in a temperate climate for such as fresh fruit and vegetables. However, it may be necessary for troops to live a specified period of time. A temperate climate is generally considered to range on 10 Man ORP for extended periods and account is made of this when selecting between +3°C and +25°C. When operational temperatures are likely to be below components for the rations. There is sufficient variety within each menu to ensure 0°C for long periods then the specialist Cold Climate Ration should be used. For that there will be a range of components to produce a breakfast, lunch and evening temperatures above +25°C, ORP should be stored in insulated, refrigerated storage meal with associated drinks, hot beverages and snacks. conditions. However the ORP are designed to be stored and used in hot conditions Current 10 Man ORP comprises 5 main menus. There are no culturally sensitive without refrigeration for short periods. variants. However each box contains a number of ingredients sufficient to produce The backbone of UK operational feeding is the 24 Hr ORP, in the immediate war a Vegetarian option, where required. fighting phase and early stages of a deployment and whenever the operational As well as these two main types of ORP, DFS manages the procurement and tempo precludes group feeding. The 24 Hr ORP is also used extensively during supply of a number of other variants. These include the lightweight 12 Hr ration training and on exercise both in the UK and world wide. for use where a patrol ration is required, the Cold Climate Ration (designed for The 24 Hr ORP is a self contained ration consumed on the basis of one 24 Hr use either above the snow line or where ORP box per man per day. 24 Hr rations are required not only to provide energy a high calorie, lightweight ration is but also macro and micro nutrients, in order to maintain physical and cognitive required), Jungle Ration (issued to performance. Troops may have to remain on 24 Hr ORP as their main (if not sole) SF or Units undergoing extremely source of food for a period of many days until other sources of food are available arduous training), Submarine Survival and for this reason the composition of the ration is important both in terms of the Ration, Ships Emergency Ration, and amount of energy that is provided and the nutrients they contain. Therefore it is Emergency Flying Rations. DFS also important that there is variety in the ration packs so as to reduce the risk of menu manage the supply and delivery of fatigue. When used in an operational setting, troops may be issued with several 24 the individual cooker and it’s Hr ration packs at any one time. For this reason the “hot” breakfast choices, as well associated fuel. as the main meals and some of the pudding types, are packed in retort pouches to ensure that they have, are flexible and robust. They are designed to be submerged unopened in boiling water, allowing the food contained within to be heated to the desired temperature. The pouched components may also have to be consumed when cold, depending on the operational environment . All 24 Hr ORP should contain core components including a breakfast (hot or cold), lunch element, main meal and dessert, snacks, beverage powders, and sundries including waterproof matches, water purification tablets (used where no potable water is available), dental chewing gum, wet wipes, tissues and a disposable spoon for consuming the products in the ration. Current 24 Hour ORP comprises of 20 menus, with 10 Halal, 10 Sikh/Hindu, 10 Kosher and 10 Vegetarian variants also available. The culturally sensitive menus are also suitable for those that have no specific cultural or dietary needs and are based on the standard ORP, with many of the core items being sourced from the same supplier. When the operational tempo allows, 10 Man ORP is utilised for group feeding, usually by military chefs in field kitchens. However they are also suitable for use by “hobby chefs” who have received some basic training in their use and come complete with a simple recipe guide to ensure users can make the most of the contents. Canned items and retort pouches provide the core components which are supplemented by a wide variety of dehydrated products. Each box of 10 Man ORP is self contained, and the components should be such that they are capable Selecting Components for ORP When selecting ration components for inclusion in any of the various ration types, several important requirements have to be met. These are as follows. Shelf Life of Operational Rations Requirements for Macronutrients on Ops and Exercises Most of the types of ORP have a 2 year shelf life though some of the Evidence from recent opperations and from military training shows adequate more specialised rations have a shelf life of up to 5 years. The shelf energy intake reduces risk of illness and injury (Brookes et al. 2011, Davey et al. life is linked to the best before dates of the products contained within 2011). ORP are designed to provide this energy in the optimal mix of carbohydrate, the ration and are occasionally extended, taking into account the fat and with adequate protein for the body’s needs. ambient temperatures and conditions prevalent during storage. Chronic fatigue occurs after successive days of hard exercise and inadequate The main components of the rations are the retort pouches. These pouches nutrition. This is caused by a shortage of muscle glycogen due to inadequate are formed from a 4 ply bonded material and are thermally processed carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrate (e.g. from starchy foods) is stored in muscles at high temperatures to ensure a long shelf life at ambient, shelf stable and liver as glycogen.