When Were MRE Meals Invented?

ISSUE 6 | JUNE 2018

EVERSAFE MRES

WHEN WERE MRE MEALS INVENTED?

has been a resounding success

MREs or Meals Ready to Eat were

resulting in the immense

first used on the battlefield in

popularity of meals ready to eat.

1983. The contents and packaging

This article provides information

of MREs have drastically improved

on when were MRE meals really

today since its first appearance.

invented.

The US Military and the Department of Defense together

Before the arrival of MREs, the

set forth to find ways to improve

soldiers had a plethora of food

the nutrition value and taste of

rations - none of these became

the original MREs. The project

popular and successful like the

Eversafe MREs

MRE. The Reserved Ration was the

this ration was not popular with

first field ration in the 1900s.

the soldiers since it lacked

This meal includes hard tack

variety. The C-Ration was

biscuits and one pound of

replaced in 1958 by the Meal,

dehydrated meat. Since the ration

Combat, Individual (MCI) ration.

lacked proper nutrition values,

But the MCI ration was not

it was replaced by the C-Ration

popular with the soldiers. In

in 1938. The C-Ration contained

fact, they disliked it even more

canned precooked and prepared

than the C-Ration. But the MCI

food. This ration was prevalent

ration was in use until the

during the World War II. But

mid-1970s when MREs were finally

Eversafe MREs

developed.

a variety of menus in the MREXIII - which eliminated the

MREs showed a significant

unpopular food items of the

improvement on all the previous

previous MREs and introducing new

field rations. The nutrition

food items such as fresh and

value and portability were the

tasty bread and chocolate bars

major qualities that popularized

that don't melt in the desert

the MRE. But the texture and

heat. The Flameless Ration Heater

taste were not well-accepted by

or FRH was introduced in 1992,

the soldiers. The Defense

and it helped to increase the

establishment responded with

calorie intake of the soldiers

Eversafe MREs

significantly. In fact,

of the MRE package. This team

specialized meals such as

closely work with the soldiers in

vegetarian meals were introduced

the field by continuously testing

in 1996.

out the MREs. The CPI program has helped produce a lot of

The MRE team consists of a

improvements such as powdered

Continuous Product Improvement

beverage packets and Tabasco

(CPI) program that enlists the

sauce, etc. In fact, today's MRE

support of scientists,

includes an entree, a dessert, a

dietitians, and engineers to

side dish, bread or crackers,

improve the contents and outlook

jelly or peanut butter,

Eversafe MREs

a spread of cheese, powdered

campers, hikers, survivalists,

beverage packets, chewing gum, a

and many other groups relish on

matchbook, spices, a Flameless

this product. Hence, you should

Ration Heater, and other

check the quality of the product

utensils.

before buying an MRE.

MREs have become popular with the civilian population within the last 10-15 years due to the many advantages of meals ready to eat. In fact, outdoor activists,