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Italian Combat Rations

Italian Ration Reviews

Italian Special Combat Food Ration

(Razione Viveri Speciale da Combattimento)

The Italian Armed Forces (Forze Armate) use a ration called the "Special Combat Food Ration" (Razione Viveri Speciale da Combattimento). Each individual ration is enough food for one soldier for one day. A single ration is approximately 30 cm x 23 cm x 10.5 cm with a weight of 2.3 kg. Each meal bag contains three boxes - one for breakfast, one for lunch, and one for supper/dinner. These rations use canned food instead of the retort pouches seen in the US, British, and Canadian rations.

Italian combat rations come in seven different menus, called "Modules", which are labeled A through G. Each Module is also assigned a color, which is indicated on the meal bag by a sticker of that color. See the menu listing below for a list of the modules and colors. The official NATO code for these rations is 8905-15-147-6202.

Italian rations have a "Use by" date that is two years after the ration is produced. So a ration such as the one in the pictures below (see "Ration Label" picture) which was produced in December, 2002, is best used by December, 2004.

Front of ration	Back of ration

Ration label	Description on back

Italian ration vs. US MRE and vs. German EPa

Alcohol ration

Two of the seven Italian ration modules (B and F) contain an item called "Cordiale/bevanda alcolica", or Cordial/alcoholic beverage. This is a 3 cl "shot" of a brandy-like liquor in a plastic bottle. The specification for this particular ration item say it must be no less than 70 proof (40°) alcohol and "Its appearance should be clear, pale yellow amber, with a pleasing smell and taste."

Italian Combat Rations - 2007 Menu

Meal	Module A Yellow	Module B Red	Module C Gray	Module D Green	Module E White	Module F Pink	Module G Blue
B r e a k f a s t	Biscuits, sweet Fruit jelly Sweetened Condensed Milk Coffee Chocolate bar Sugar Water purification tablets	Cereal & chocolate bar Fruit Jam Cappuccino Tea, sweetened Cordial, alcohol Sugar Water purification tablets	Biscuits, sweet Fruit jelly Sweetened Condensed Milk Coffee Chocolate bar Sugar Water purification tablets	Biscuits, sweet Fruit Jam Cappuccino Tea, sweetened Chocolate bars Sugar Water purification tablets	Cereal & chocolate bar Fruit jelly Sweetened Condensed Milk Coffee Chocolate bar Sugar Water purification tablets	Biscuits, sweet Fruit Jam Capuccino Tea, sweetened Cordial, alcohol Sugar Water purification tablets	Biscuits, sweet Fruit jelly Sweetened Condensed Milk Coffee Chocolate bars Sugar Water purification tablets
L u n c h	Tortellini in sauce Beef, canned Crackers Mixed fruit Vitamin tablets Coffee Bran crackers Sugar	Pasta and beans Turkey, canned Mixed fruit Vitamin tablets Coffee Bran crackers Sugar	Tortellini in sauce Sausage, canned Crackers Mixed fruit Vitamin tablets Coffee Bran crackers Sugar	Ravioli in sauce Tuna and peas Crackers Mixed fruit Vitamin tablets Coffee Bran crackers Sugar	Ravioli in sauce Pork, canned Crackers Mixed fruit Vitamin tablets Coffee Bran crackers Sugar	Minestrone Beef, canned Crackers Mixed fruit Vitamin tablets Coffee Bran crackers Sugar	Tortellini in sauce Sausage, canned Crackers Mixed fruit Vitamin tablets Coffee Bran crackers Sugar
S u p p e r	Minestrone Tuna in oil Crackers Coffee Sugar Fruit cereal bars	Rice salad Beef slices Crackers Coffee Sugar Energy bar	Pasta and beans Mackerel in oil Crackers Coffee Sugar Fruit cereal bars	Minestrone Beef, canned Crackers Coffee Sugar Fruit cereal bars	Pasta and beans Chicken, canned Crackers Coffee Sugar Fruit cereal bars	Ravioli in sauce Tuna with beans Crackers Coffee Sugar Fruit cereal bars	Rice salad Turkey, canned Crackers Coffee Sugar Eenergy bar
	Accessories (per Module): 3 x disposable toothbrushes for dental hygiene 1 x box of matches 6 x towelettes 3 x toothpicks 3 x trash bags 1 x salt packet			1 x camp stove 6 x fuel tablets 2 x plastic cutlery (one for lunch and one for dinner) 1 x plastic spoon for breakfast 1 x instruction sheet		Packaging: - Primary: cardboard boxes for food - Secondary: vacuum-sealed bags.

Official Menus in Italian

2007 Menu and accessories	2003 Menu	2001 Menu	2000 Menu

Links: Official Italian Minitry of Defence combat rations information

PDF copy of latest official rations technical specifications: Razione viveri da combattimento (edizione 2007) - S.T.314/U.I.

Sample Italian Combat Ration

Module G, the individual meal boxes contained within, and the contents of one of the boxes

Sample lunch and supper

Labeling

Prior to 2004, all Italian Combat Rations were labeled in both Italian and English. However, starting in 2004, they removed the English from the packages:

2002 Ration	2004 Ration	2002/2004 rations side by side

1998 Module B Contents

Meal bag, boxes inside

Breakfast	Lunch	Supper

Misc. Italian Combat Rations Pictures

Credits: Thanks to the following people and sites for information and pictures - Beppo, Housil, Juifahrer, Namachan/Adventure-World, Die Kampfzuteilung

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