In 1870 the Prussian Military issued the first “iron ration” into the military (during the German-French war). This was a pea soup concentrate called (in German) “Erbswurst” due to its shape like a sausage (“Wurst”). It has been in production for almost 150 years but was discontinued in 2018.
Since WW2, West Germany’s “Bundeswehr” (West German Army) uses a ration called the Einmannpackung (Combat Ration, Individual), or “EPa” for short. Each case contains four rations and each EPa is intended to provide food for 24 hrs with two entrees and a continental breakfast.
East Germany’s military, the “Nationale Volks Armee” (NVA) also had a 24 hrs ration, called “K-ration” from the Russian word “Komplekte” (комплект).
Each case holds four rations. They only had two different rations – “K1” and “K2”.
After the end of the Cold War and Germany’s reunification in 1990, the East German Military was terminated and all left over Komplekte were sent into Russia for an aid program or just dumped.
During Cold War time area, EPas were designed for a shelf life of 20 (!) years. West Germany had always stored 600,000 rations to provide rations to the troops for 30 days. They came in four “Types”, I to IV (note the Roman numerals). Each case held four EPa’s.
When the two Germanys reunited 1990, the Bundeswehr felt that there would no longer be any need to stockpile rations so they started phasing them out. Shortly after that, in 1993, Germany was called upon for UN Peacekeeping duties and the German planners had to revive the rations for the troops. During this revival, they settled back into having three EPa Types I to III.
Each EPa has two heavy duty, square foil trays containing things like Green Beans with Ham, Italian Noodles, Goulash, or Pea Soup with Bacon. They also contain two smaller foil “cans” of bread spreads such as liverwurst or luncheon meat spread. The meal box also includes all water proof sweet crackers (“armor sheets”), instant fruit juice powder, instant coffee, instant tea, powdered creamer, a really good chocolate bar, sugar, salt, gum, jam, water purifying tablets and paper towels.
When going into war in Afghanistan in 2001, the Germans had to change their philosophy from “to-store” rations into “to-eat” rations. Also a wider variety of just three different types were necessary.
So the Verpflegungsamt (Quartermaster) created a new EPa generation with now 19 different Types. The entrees were nearly commercial trays but also had freeze dried entrees. Each case came now with six EPas:
An “Afghanistan” EPa (left) compared to a Cold War one (right):
The entrees came now a rectangular container with a shelf life of only 3.5 years but with a much wider selection. An EPa also now contains a “snack” of either a fruit salad or a sweet semolina dish, just one pack of sweet crackers, and a can of sliced rye bread. They also contained smaller containers of pate, cheese, and jam for continental breakfast. They kept the beverage powders, coffee, tea, sugar, salt, creamer, water purifying tablets, water proof matches, and moist towelette.
Old and new entree containers of “Goulash w/ potatoes”:
In 2012, they switched to Arabic numbers 1-12. EPas come now like this (Type 1):
Regular entree trays, mixed with freeze dried dishes. Cereal bars and spreads. Different coffee/tea packages. New beverage powders:
Other EPa Types (13-19) were discontinued.
In Afghanistan, the German military had to learn you can’t carry always a couple of days food supply with your equipment as each EPa has a weight of ~1,7kg (3.8 lbs). So they issued a freeze dried long range patrol version called “EPa leicht” (EPa “light”).
An EPa leicht box (left) compared to a regular EPa:
Each EPa leicht holds 8 freeze dried entrees for either 4 soldiers for a day (lunch & dinner) or for one soldiers for four days
It comes with rich trekking bars, energy drinks, beverages, coffee and tea, lots of sugar and creamers, matches and salt, vitamin supplements, etc.
EPa entrees :
Beef patties w/ tomato sauce:
Goulash w/ potatoes:
Cevapcici w/ rice:
Freeze dried entree:
Beef, beans and potatoes:
Latest Menus
Here are the latest EPa Type 1-12 Menus:
With a “best by” date of 2020, production may be 2018, 4 types of Epas, Typ 21-24 showed up. Probably test versions of new, bagged mains made by German manufacturer “Eracso”. 
Also in 2018, due to a higher demand for exercise “Cold Response” in Norway, the German Bundeswehr ordered an extra type of exercise rations, made in Spain.
Six different types were available, 3 x “Western” and 3 x “Halal”.
These exercise rations came in a tan, bagged version. Against all rumors, they were not issued to replace the known cardboard boxed ones and are no longer in production. Also they have a commercial shelf life of (just) two years.
List of contents: Epa Üb Inhalt
A major change happened when the German Bundeswehr changed from “containers” to “bags”. All these new(er) entrees need a canteen and any kind of heat source (ESBIT cooker etc.) to warm up the bagged rations in water. See the MREInfo.com forums review section for further information about this.
Another (political) change occurred in 2021. The name “EPa”, what means in German “Einmannpackung” = “one man ration” got changed to “Einpersonenpackung” = “one person ration”. This was chosen to keep the abbreviation “EPa” but also having a gender neutral name.
Here is a link to the old MREInfo.com German EPa page.