Meals ready to eat are abbreviated as MREs. By using research and first-hand accounts, I will examine the MRE food system. MREs are given to soldiers, bought by citizens for their use, and handed out to citizens after large natural disasters. Ration meals started developing in the early 1900s and are still being worked on today. The Army regulates MREs by controlling what nutrients are in the MREs, the types of MREs, and the soldiers’ access to the MREs. These regulations create different ways to consume and dispose of the MRE. The Army wants a unit that works well together. They strip the identity of the individual soldier to create an identity for the community of the unit. Mr. Robert E. Lee IV, who is currently serving in the United States…show more content… The Army says each MRE provides 1,250 calories. The high calories are for all the energy that the soldiers use during the day. The Army says it requires that each MRE has 13% protein, 36% fat, 51% carbohydrates, and one-third of the daily vitamin and mineral intake. Nutritional values being regulated in the MREs shows that the Army cares about what the soldiers are putting into their bodies. The Army says that 3 MREs make a full day’s worth of meals. For the Army’s purpose, each MRE contains an entrée and the side dish. It also includes bread or crackers with a spread, candy, and a dessert. Beverages such as Gatorade mixes, cocoa, dairy shakes, coffee, and tea are in the packet. Some MREs contain hot sauce, salt, or some other type of seasoning. There are items in the MREs that aren’t food. These items help with the consumption of the MRE. MREs will have utensils. Some MREs contain toilet paper, gum, a flameless ration heater, and possibly matches. The flameless ration heater is water activated and heat is produced by a chemical reaction between salt, magnesium, and iron (Epicenter Supplies). Other ways that MREs can be heated include in the oven, microwave, saucepan, or in boiling water as listed by Epicenter Supplies. The flameless ration heater heats up an eight-ounce ration in minutes (Epicenter Supplies). Due to water starting the reaction, it is very important that the MREs be kept dry and in an area of low…show more content… They may not contain the accessory packs that contain toilet paper, matches, etc. There are other differences between civilian and military issued MREs. Civilian MREs will have known storage conditions and come from a known producer and components of the MRE can be bought separately (Epicenter Supplies). Those approved to sell the MREs only provide 12 menu options (MRE info). MREs for civilians can be bought offline or are used in natural disasters. The high caloric value of MREs don’t make them appropriate for regular consumption by citizens (Feagans et al. 2010). The MREs are good for giving to people that are struck by natural disasters for a short time. People also purchase the MREs offline to use for backpacking and camping. There is also a market for collecting MREs. As seen in the picture, a box of MREs that contains all original 12 menu items is being sold for $399.99. These MREs cannot be safely consumed, so they must serve another purpose. For a veteran or someone interested in vintage military gear, this could be an important part of their identity. They are attached to the history the MREs are a part
