Saturday, August 3, 2013

Who Can Eat Kosher MRE Portions

By Lela Perkins


The term MRE stands for meals meal ready to eat. Kosher MRE rations are packets of food that are made to the standards of the Jewish faith. The army is one of the biggest users of the meals, but they are by no means the only user. Just as it is a popular misconception that only Jewish people can eat kosher food, it's also a popular misconception that only people in the armed forces can eat these meals.

The rations were created extensively to cater for the biggest user of MRE foods, and that's the armed services. They realized that Jewish people needed to have their own food prepared to their own standards. As with all meal ready to eat, the portions are portable in a combat environment and pack enough calories to see a soldier through the day. They also do not need to be reheated as they are actually ready to eat straight away, even though the food is cold.

People sometimes do not understand how versatile they are. The army may well be the main user but many other people from all walks of life use them. Hikers, and campers love the fact that the rations are very light and easy to transport. If an emergency occurs and you're stranded, these portions can be the difference between life and death.

They can be eaten hot. You don't need a cooker either. There are a few ways in which to do this. The first is to leave the unopened pouch out in the sun for half an hour and wait or it to heat up. The second is to put the ration on top of a running vehicle engine for about 10 minutes. Then you'll have a meal that truly is hot and ready to eat.

Because Jews are in a minority in the armed services, the kosher meals are not necessarily the most popular. However, they can keep for up to 12 months so this isn't such a big deal. Each packet has it's own expiry date, which means you're able to check if the food is actually good enough to eat.

An important feature of cooking an food for a religious group is he adherence to certain standards of hygiene and preparation. The Jewish faith requires all kosher foods to be prepared in an uncontaminated environment, meaning all utensils should be clean and not used in other types of foods. Some makers of the ready meals will actually have special kitchen where they only prepare foods for the Jewish faith, therefore avoiding any chance of contamination with other preparation techniques.

Most people are unaware of the fact that Jewish custom has five classic grains that must be planted before Passover and harvested before Passover otherwise they cannot be put in Jewish foods. Those grains are barley, spelt, wheat, oats and rye. Other grains are not included in these restrictions because they are not considered classic grains.

Even Jewish soups are Kosher MRE food. They must not have meat or dairy in them, so they can be eaten by vegans. Overall, the meals are used by more than just soldiers. Whether it's hikers, campers, or humanitarian agencies, they can help save lives. They pack a lot of nutrition and are usually a complete meal. Most packs come with starters, side dishes, a main course, a drink and a dessert.




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