NateP wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2018 2:02 pm
I'm surprised to see Tabasco in the tiny bottles still. Do more modern (2010s) MRES use bottles?
I'm pretty sure by then they made the switch to tabasco pouches. Also commercial Ketchup and Mustard are supplied in heavy vinyl pouches. Personally the special Vegetarian meals always sort of stuck in my craw, while a certain number might be necessary, I guess, it is waaaay out of line for 2 out of every 12 meals. Vegetarians are vanishingly rare and especially so in the military. In any event a specific NSN for veggie meals could have handled any dietary strangeness requirement without foisting the ersatz on everybody else on a permanent basis. I will say that the general quality and palatability of the tomato & pasta type entrees is good, if they had some beef or pork they'd be excellent. And oftentimes that's what makes for a really good MRE - a sausage patty here, a pasta dish here, a cheese spread, etc.
The lack of coffee in some of the meals is pretty sad. WTF are they thinking? The coffee that is included keeps getting either weaker or, less quantity. They do include chocolate covered coffee beans in some (outstanding) and caffeine breath mints (ditto). I don't smoke, but it all started going downhill when they deleted the cigarettes.
