The dry ration. The dry ration of the Russian army. American dry ration

What is a dry ration? The answer to this question is found in the materials of the article. In addition, we will tell you about what today there are individual kits for food, and also about how they differ in different countries.

general information

A dry ration is a set of products that is intended to feed military personnel, as well as civilians, in conditions when there is no way to cook hot food on their own. As a rule, such a diet is designed for one person. It should also be noted that such a set may include products for one meal, or for a whole day.

Basic requirements for dry rations

The dry ration of the Russian army from a similar set of products in other countries can vary significantly. However, the general requirements for them everywhere are the same:

• Possibility of long-term storage. In other words, such a set should not include products for which special storage conditions are required (for example, fresh fruits, vegetables, mayonnaise, sour cream, etc.).
• In the dry ration should only enter easily digestible ingredients that are unable to cause allergic reactions, eating disorders, etc.
• The packaging of such a kit should protect it well from any contamination and water.
• Products that are part of dry soldering should be simple to prepare or ready for use.
• A civilian or military dry ration must have sufficient food and energy value.

It should also be noted that in some cases special requirements are imposed on such a set. For example, for a cosmonaut to eat a dry ration should not include products that can form sprays and crumbs, which are dangerous in conditions of weightlessness.

Composition of individual diets

What does the standard dry ration contain? The composition of such a set of products can be different. But most often it includes the following components:

• Freeze-dried and dried foods (dry instant soups, instant coffee, dried milk, etc.).
• Canned foods (eg condensed milk, stews, sprats, etc.).
• Biscuits (dry biscuits), crackers or crackers.
• Food additives and flavor enhancers (various seasonings, salt, spices, sugar).
• Vitamins.

Additional inventory

In addition to food, a civilian or army dry ration includes such additional equipment as:

• disposable tableware;
• Means, which are intended for water disinfection;
• Means of hygiene (chewing gum, disinfecting napkins, etc.);
• Means for heating food products (for example, matches, dry fuel , etc.).

It should also be noted that neither Russian nor American dry rations include water. Drinking fluid is either given separately or is extracted locally.

What foods should not be included in dry soldering?

There are a number of products that are categorically forbidden to include in a civilian or army dry ration. These include the following:

• Dishes containing hot spices or seasonings, nitrites above 0.03%, edible salt over 0.8%, alcohol, apricot kernels, sodium pyrosulfate, natural coffee, confectionery and cooking fats.
• Unwashed products, as well as mashing vegetables and exotic fruits that are capable of being subjected to rapid damage.
• All perishable products that require special temperature conditions to maintain safety and quality.
• Confectionery products containing cream fillers and high in cocoa.
• Food products that do not have documents confirming their safety and quality.

Scope of application

Today, in free sale, you can find both army and civilian rations. The price of such sets varies considerably and depends on the products that are included in their composition.

It should be specially noted that the main consumers of such rations are military men. They dry rations are given for feeding in field conditions, when there is no way to develop a full-fledged camp kitchen.

Among other things, this set of products is often used:

• People working in the night shift or the watch-keeping method in conditions when it is impossible to cook hot food for themselves.
• Flight convoys that carry out long-term non-stop flights, as well as on reserve and reserve airfields.
• Humanitarian organizations.
• Crews of surface and submarine ships.
• Rescuers.
• Geologists, tourists and participants of various expeditions.

A set of dry rations in the armed forces of the USSR

A set of daily allowances in the armed forces of the USSR per person was approved by the Decree of the USSR Council of People's Commissars and the Central Committee of the CPSU (b). Thus, from June 1, 1941, a dry ration of a Russian soldier included the following products:

• Rye biscuits - about 600 g (or black bread);
• Concentrated millet porridge - 200 g;
• Concentrated pea soup-puree - 75 g;
• Something one of the following list: semi-smoked sausage "Minskaya" - 100 g, cheese (brynza) - 160 g, smoked / dried vobla - 150 g, dried fillet of fish - 100 grams, salted herring - 200 g, canned meat - 113 g. G;
• Sand sugar - 35 g;
• Tea - 2 g;
• Salt - 10 g.

The Army's Dry Rations in the 1980s

In the eighties, a dry ration was used in the armed forces of the USSR, which consisted of canned meat (250 g), two cans of meat and vegetable canned food, each 250 g (that is, rice or buckwheat porridge with a small amount of beef), packing of black croissants, A bag of black tea, as well as a lot of sugar.

Russian Army rations

Since 1991, the Russian Armed Forces have started using the "Individual Diet". There are two types of this set:

• IRP-B, that is, the individual diet - combat. It consists of 4 cans (stew, minced meat or pate, rice or buckwheat porridge with pieces of beef and fish), 6 packs of army bread (most often fresh crackers), 2 bags of instant tea with sugar, dry concentrate of natural drink "Well done "Fruit jam (often apple), 1 tablet of multivitamins, 1 packet of soluble coffee, 4 sachets of sugar, tomato sauce, 3 tablets" Aquatables ", intended for disinfection of drinking water, 4 tablets of dry alcohol (portable heater), spoon, can opener , 3 igienicheskie vetrovodoustoychivye napkins and matches.
• IRP-P, that is, the individual diet is everyday. Such a set has different numbers. It is calculated for a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and is not very different from combat. However, the presented rations are slightly smaller in caloric content and mass. Very often it is used in daily activities, when there is no possibility to organize a field kitchen.

So, the IRP-P (No. 4) includes the following food products:

• Army rye bread - 300 g;
• Stewed pork - 250 g;
• Amateur minced meat (canned) - 100 g;
• Road porridge porridge with pieces of beef - 250 g;
• Slavic buckwheat porridge with pieces of beef - 250 g;
• Concentrate for the preparation of a drink - 25 g;
• Fruit jam (more often apple) - 90 g;
• Granulated sugar - 30 g;
• Soluble tea with sugar - 32 g;
• Heater (set with tablets of dry alcohol and wind-resistant matches) - 1 piece;
• Multivitamins in dragee - 1 piece;
• A container opener and a tin can - 1 pc .;
• Paper and sanitary napkins - 3 pcs.

Depending on the number of dry daily soldering, its contents may vary. So, in the seventh set includes salted herring, meat stew with green peas, caviar from vegetables, processed cheese, biscuits of two kinds, etc.

Despite the fact that different IRP-P numbers include different food products, such field rations are quite high in calories. That is why during a full camp lunch, dinner or dinner, a soldier (or a civilian) is able to get well enough to continue his mission. After all, thanks to dry rations, there is no need to organize a field kitchen, which takes a lot of time and energy.

American dry ration MRE

Dry rations of the armed forces are called MRE. This is an English abbreviation, which stands for Meal, Ready-to-Eat, that is, "Ready-to-eat food". Typically, this set is packaged in a package of sand color, made of thick plastic (its size is 25 × 15 × 5 cm). It shows the menu number (24 pcs.) And the name of the main dish.

The American dry ration, as well as the Russian one, is quite high in calories (about 1200 kcal). Depending on the menu, it can weigh from five hundred to seven hundred grams. It should be especially noted that such a set is designed for one meal. In addition to the main course, it has a hot, soluble drink (coffee or tea), and a cold one, which is powdered lemonade.

The MRE dry ration does not include the first. However, there is a dessert in the form of cookies, sweets, cakes and biscuits. In addition, this set may include soft cheese and biscuits.

To warm up the food, the dry rations of the Americans include a special package that contains a flameless chemical heater. To make it come into action, it should be filled with a small amount of water, and then put inside a bag with a drink or food.

Composition of twenty-four US dry rations

Below you can see all types of individual diet of the US Army and some NATO countries. Dry rations, in addition to the listed products, necessarily includes components such as two chewing gums, salt, a few leaves of toilet paper, a cardboard of matches, a plastic spoon and a wet napkin.

1. Peanut butter, steak with mushrooms, beef jerky, beans in Western, coffee, crackers, milk powder, lemonade candy or chocolate, sugar and red pepper.
2. Baked apples, pork chops (with noodles), vegetable crackers, soft cheese, hot sauce, milkshake, sugar, coffee and milk are dry.
3. Potato sticks, ravioli with beef, wheat bread, soft cheese, chocolate biscuit, hot sauce, powdered lemonade, sugar, coffee and dried milk.
4. Soft cheese, chicken country-style, crackers, noodles with butter, hot sauce, cookies with jam, cocoa "mocha cappuccino", candy, sugar, coffee and milk dry.
5. Wheat bread, fried chicken breast, chocolate biscuit, goulash, apple cider, tea with lemon and sweetener, jelly, cocoa, candy and spices.
6. Boiled rice, chicken with sauce, raisin-nut mixture, soft cheese, hot sauce, vegetable crackers, dry milk, coffee with a fruity aroma, sugar and tea in a bag.
7. Mexican rice, chicken with spicy vegetables, soft cheese, biscuits, sweets, vegetable crackers, tea with lemon and sweetener and hot sauce.
8. Beef tenderloin, soft cheese, pretzels with cheese, barbecue sauce, wheat bread, hot sauce, lemonade, tea with lemon and sweetener.
9. Beef goulash, vegetable crackers, soft cheese, hot sauce, milkshake, chocolate biscuits, sugar, coffee and milk are dry.
10. Soft cheese, pasta with vegetables, vegetable bread, cake, red pepper, cocoa, milk powder, coffee, sugar, chocolate or candy.
11. Spaghetti in tomato sauce with vegetables, dried fruits, lollipops, peanut butter, cake, tea with lemon and sweetener, crackers, spices and apple cider.
12. Pie with rice and beans, cookies with fruit filling, cake, crackers, dried fruits, spicy and spicy sauce, peanut butter, tea with lemon and sweetener.
13. Dumplings stuffed with cheese, apple sauce, cake, peanut butter, lollipops, tea with lemon and sweetener, apple cider, crackers and spices.
14. Cake, spaghetti in a sauce with vegetables, peanut butter, salted roasted peanuts, crackers, dried fruits, tea with lemon and sweetener, spices and apple cider.
15. Mexican-style beef with vegetables and cheese, Mexican rice, lemonade, chocolate chip cookies, vegetable crackers, soft cheese, coffee, sugar, hot sauce and dry milk.
16. Soft cheese, sweets, chicken with noodles, vegetable crackers, raspberry-apple sauce, biscuits with figs, hot sauce, cocoa, sugar, coffee and dried milk.
17. Noodles in Chinese, Japanese beef, jam, sweets, cookies with peanut butter and cheese, sugar, lemonade, wheat bread, dried milk, coffee, chocolate or candy, red pepper.
18. Turkey breast with gravy and mashed potatoes, chocolate, pretzels with cheese, crackers, hot sauce, lemonade, sugar, peanut butter, coffee and milk are dry.
19. Boiled wild rice, crackers, jam, cocoa, oatmeal cookies, beef with mushrooms, coffee, hot sauce, milk powder and sugar.
20. Crackers with peanut butter, wheat bread, soft cheese, hot sauce, milkshake, lollipops, spaghetti with meat sauce, coffee, sugar and milk are dry.
21. Cake, spicy sauce, baked chicken with cheese, jelly, crackers, sugar, tea in a bag, milkshake and milk dry.
22. Rice with vegetables, oatmeal cookies in chocolate, sugar, sweets, soft cheese, lemonade, wheat bread, coffee, hot sauce and dry milk.
23. Pretzels, hot sauce, chicken with pasta, peanut butter, cake, lemonade, wheat bread, sugar, coffee and milk are dry.
24. Mashed potatoes, baked beef with gravy, jellies, cookies with filling, cocoa, vegetable crackers, sugar, coffee, milk powder, candy or chocolate, red pepper.

Ukrainian food set

Each country develops for its army its own individual dry ration. Ukraine produces IRP, similar to Russian ones. This set is designed for three meals (that is, breakfast, lunch and dinner). As a rule, it includes biscuits from wheat flour, meat and vegetable preserves, meat broth concentrate, fish or canned meat, jam, sugar, instant tea, fruit drink concentrate, multivitamin preparation "Hexavit", plastic table spoon, caramel, Paper and sanitary napkins.

Dry rations for children

According to sanitary and epidemiological requirements, a dry ration for children should include the following foods that do not require special storage conditions:

• Non-aerated mineral water (bottled) - up to 500 ml;
• Nectars and fruit juices, as well as natural vegetable - up to 500 ml;
• Ready-made vitamins of industrial production - 250 ml;
• Non-alcoholic juice-containing drinks - 200 ml;
• Hard cheeses in vacuum packing - 60-100 g;
• Unsalted and unroasted nuts (cashew, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts) - 20-50 g;
• Dried fruit washed in a vacuum package - 50 g;
• Dry biscuits, crackers, biscuits, drying or crackers;
• Dark or bitter chocolate with a high content of cocoa;
• Canned fruit, vegetable and fruit purees - 250 g;
• Jam, jam and jam - up to 40 g;
• Rye bread, wheat and grain bread;
• Vitaminized children's porridges of fast preparation - 160-200 g;
• Breakfast cereals;
• Goulash beef in tomato sauce:
• Concentrated broth chicken, beef;
• Cream dry, low-fat;
• Vegetable and cereal side dishes (canned);
• Condensed milk - 30-50 g;
• Packaged tea, cocoa and coffee drink.