Colombian Army field ration

[donaldjcheek]

The ENC (Colombian Army) orginally received MREs from the US, but decided to develop their own 24-hour ration pack. This was done for several reasons:
1. The average Colombian soldier is somewhat smaller than his US counterpart, and requires less food.
2. The dietary preferences & tastes of the Colombian soldiers are quite different from those of the American soldier. Unfamiliar foods in the US MRE were not consumed, leading to a loss of nutrition. (Think about it; if you didn't know what it was, would you eat peanut butter? I heard Arabs I trained call it "khraa al-kelb" - dog poop). Also, unfamiliarity with the English languange meant that most troops had no idea what they were eating.
3. The ration was judged too heavy, too high in fat, and too rich in calories for the average "soldado." It is also expensive.
4. The ENC saw a future need to have rations produced domestically, freeing Colombia from dependence on a foreign supplier.

The result was the Racion de Campana, consisting of MRE-like thermostabilized ready-to-eat entrees packaged in plastic-foil retort pouches. Each ration contains the food and supplements needed by 1 soldier for 1 day, packed in a very dark olive green (almost black) plastic bag slightly larger than an MRE bag. The bag is printed with the logo of the military logistics agency, a number corresponding to the type of ration (Type 1 = Cold Climate, Type 2 = Hot Climate, & Type 3 = All Climate/General Use), menu number (currently 10), and the contract number. An adhesive label is then attached which gives the pack date and end-use date.

Each bag measure 38 cm x 28 cm, weighs between 1092 - 1205 grams, and provides between 3097 & 3515 kCal.

The individual meals inside consist of a breakfast, a lunch, and a main meal, plus bread products, beverage mix powders, and candy or sweet breads.

Typical breakfast includes: 25 g hot beverage powder (instant coffee w/milk, cocoa beverage powder, sweet cheese drink powder, instant malted milk, or coffee w/milk); 150 g or 180 g retort pouched entree (ham & eggs, beef roll, stewed corn chowder, or rice & meat stewed with vegetables); 100 g bread item (packaged bread, crackers, or sweet breads)

Typical lunch includes: 36 g beverage powder (usually fruit flavors); 180 g retort pouched entree (Goulash, Lentils w/sausage, Garden Chicken, Madrid-style chickpeas, Madrid-style tripe, Stewed tripe w/vegetables, Oats w/Bacon, Oats w/meat chunks, Tuna w/green vegetables, Chicken in white sauce, Beef Stew, or Beef Roll); 100 g bread item (pouch bread, crackers, or sweet biscuits).

Typical main meal includes: 36 g beverage powder; 180 g retort pouched entree (Rice w/meat & vegetables, Chicken & rice, Spaghetti w/Tuna, Spaghetti w/mixed meat sauce, Macaroni w/chicken, Beef w/potatoes, or Chicken w/potatoes); 100 g bread items.

Included with each ration are: a 125 g envelope of raw sugar, a 100 g can of condensed milk, 100 g of sandwich cookies (typically w/fruit filling), a 25 g nougat bar or chocolate bar, 30 g of sweetened, thickened cream spread, 20 g of hard candy or caramels, and 50 g of peanuts or trail mix or 25 g of roasted almonds. Also included are: 2 g instant coffee, 5 g sugar, 1 g salt, 2 paper towels, a plastic spoon, 2 water purification tablets, a multivitamin tablet, and ration heating tablets.

The ration proved a success in Colombia and was subsequently adopted by Chile, Ecuador, and Peru as well.

I have some pictures and will try to post them later.

[olli]

... cocoa beverage powder, sweet cheese drink powder, instant malted milk

what in the world is a sweet cheese drink ??

[Stef]

Thanks for the info donaldjcheek, very interesting!

In fact that's a bad new for the US contractor but quite a good one for the rations collectors who'll have one more type to track on eBay

I appreciate a lot your "khraa al-kelb" anecdote; well as long as they don't believe that's "khanzeer"* (or "halloof"*)!

Nothing's very strange in the Colombian ration, except (as Olli noted) this cheese drink...

OK, Olli just imagine a mixture of one pack of "smilling cow" with 1 litre of "DocPepper" hmmm, yummy


*GROOOIIIIIK!, you see?

[donaldjcheek]

... cocoa beverage powder, sweet cheese drink powder, instant malted milk

what in the world is a sweet cheese drink ??

The contents of the "sweet cheese drink" powder (agua de panela con queso) are: sugar, dehydrated cheese powder, instant milk. Instructions are to dissolve in 450 ml hot water, stir, and drink.

[olli]

hmmm sound good, i would try it with only very little water to make a cheesy sauce out of it...

[kman]

Great info, donaldjcheek! I'd love to see some pictures of these. Do you know who the manufacturer of the rations is? I wonder if they went to any of the US ration producers - Wornick, Sopakco, or Ameriqual. I recall that Wornick used to (still does?) make some of the Canadian IMP entrees.

[donaldjcheek]

Great info, donaldjcheek! I'd love to see some pictures of these. Do you know who the manufacturer of the rations is? I wonder if they went to any of the US ration producers - Wornick, Sopakco, or Ameriqual. I recall that Wornick used to (still does?) make some of the Canadian IMP entrees.

Currently 2 manufacturers: La Huerta de Oriente and Consorcio Comida de SA, both based in Colombia. A third manufacturer, IberiaAmericana (?) apparently pulled out when their freeze-dried ration was not fielded. Huerta has a nice website with information, but no pictures.

[donaldjcheek]

In July 2011, the ENC (Ejército Nacional de Colombia) authorized an upgrade and rationalization of the individual campaign ration (Racion de Campaña). These changes were instituted in March, 2012 and are now arriving in the field.

Like the previous version of the ration, three meals plus supplements and accessories are packed inside one heavy-duty resealable plastic bag. Each ration consists of:

Breakfast = 25 g - 40 g instant hot beverage powder, 100 g breakfast pastry, and (not all menus) a 150 g ready-to-eat meal item
Lunch = 36 g isotonic beverage powder (various flavors), 100 g bread product, and 200 g ready-to-eat meal item
Supper = 30 g - 36 g instant beverage powder (various flavors), 100 g bread product, and 200 g ready-to-eat meal item.

Ration may also contain: dried fruit; 100 g condensed milk or tropical fruit paste sandwich; 25 g pre-sweetened milk powder; 30 g thick, caramelized cream spread; 125 g raw pressed sugar; 50 g nuts or toasted corn kernels, or 30 g toasted garbanzos, or 25 g almonds; 25 g caramels or 25 g nougat bar or 50 g chocolate bar.

Each ration includes; 2 g instant coffee; 5 g sugar; 1 g salt; water purification tablets; multivitamin tablet w/minerals; solid fuel tablets or chemical ration heater; paper towels; and a plastic spoon.

The number of menus has been increased from 10 to 20, and several new food items have been introduced.

Menu #1 Bfst: hot cocoa, sesame seed bread, trout w/rice
Menu #1 Lunch: oat biscuits, beef stew
Menu #1 Supper: hard crackers, lentils w/sausage
Menu #1 Accessories: 10 g prunes, nougat bar, Japanese peanuts, caramel cream spread, condensed milk, raw sugar bar

Menu #2 Bfst: fortified cheese drink, breakfast sandwich w/meat
Menu #2 Lunch: salted crackers, beans w/beef
Menu #2 Supper: corn bread, chicken & rice
Menu #2 Accy: prunes, sweetened milk powder, condensed milk, mixed fruit w/nuts, raw sugar bar, guava sandwich cookie

Menu #3 Bfst: chocolate milk powder, sweet crackers, tamale
Menu #3 Lunch: oat biscuits, beans w/sausage
Menu #3 Supper: fruit biscuits, chicken & rice
Menu #3 Accy: prunes, condensed milk, malted milk powder, salted peanuts, raw sugar bar, nougat bar

Menu #4 Bfst: chocolate drink w/cheese powder, sweet breakfast bread
Menu #4 Lunch: hard crackers, trout w/rice
Menu #4 Supper: stewed potatoes & beef, sesame seed bread
Menu #4 Accy: prunes, raw sugar bar, nougat bar, guava sandwich cookies, condensed milk

Menu #5 Bfst: chocolate drink w/cheese powder, orange muffin
Menu #5 Lunch: oat biscuits, goulash
Menu #5 Supper: hard biscuits, chicken w/vegetables
Menu #5 Accy: condensed milk, guava sandwich cookies, toasted almonds, prunes, nougat bar

Menu #6 Bfst: malted milk powder, scrambled egg & cheese tamale
Menu #6 Lunch: enriched crackers; rice w/meat, sausage & vegetables
Menu #6 Supper: corn bread, beef stew
Menu #6 Accy: cream spread, prunes, condensed milk, malted milk powder, salted peanuts, raw sugar bar

Menu #7 Bfst: sweet cheese drink, sweet breakfast bread, trout w/spaghetti
Menu #7 Lunch: salted crackers, chicken w/peppers
Menu #7 Supper: sesame seed bread, peas w/bacon
Menu #7 Accy: prunes, cream spread, milk caramels, condensed milk, Japanese peanuts, raw sugar bar

Menu #8 Bfst: coffee w/milk, orange muffin
Menu #8 Lunch: soy flour bread, lentils w/sausage
Menu #8 Supper: milk bread, tripe stew
Menu #8 Accy: prunes, toasted almonds, condensed milk, malted milk powder, raw sugar bar

Menu #9 Bfst: sweet cheese drink, scrambled egg & cheese tamale
Menu #9 Lunch: sesame seed bread, stewed potatoes w/beef
Menu #9 Supper: hard crackers, tuna w/vegetables
Menu #9 Accy: prunes, guava sandwich cookies, condensed milk, salted peanuts, raw sugar bar

Menu #10 Bfst: chocolate w/cheese drink, sweet crackers, tamale
Menu #10 Lunch: sweet breakfast bread, peas w/bacon
Menu #10 Supper: enriched crackers, chicken w/vegetables
Menu #10 Accy: prunes, condensed milk, milk caramels, chocolate bar, raw sugar bar

Menu #11 Bfst: sweet cheese drink, banana pastry
Menu #11 Lunch: hard boiled eggs, orange muffin
Menu #11 Supper: soy flour bred, tuna w/vegetables
Menu #11 Accy: condensed milk, raw sugar bar, mixed fruit w/nuts, cream spread

Menu #12 Bfst: hot cocoa w/sugar, corn bread, omellette
Menu #12 Lunch: enriched crackers, hominy w/meat
Menu #12 Supper: fruit biscuits, goulash
Menu #12 Accy: condensed milk, guayaba paste sandwich cookies, toasted garbanzo beans, raw sugar bar

Menu #13 Bfst: chocolate milk drink powder, fruit pastry
Menu #13 Lunch: sweet crackers, peas w/beef
Menu #13 Supper: milk bread, beef stew
Menu #13 Accy: condensed milk, chocolate-covered raisins, peanut granola

Menu #14 Bfst: malted milk drink, coconut cream pastry
Menu #14 Lunch: corn bread, trout w/spaghetti
Menu #14 Supper: sesame seed bread, rice w/meat & vegetable
Menu #14 Accy: condensed milk, sweetened milk powder, Japanese spiced peanuts, raw sugar bar

Menu #15 Bfst: cocoa w/sugar, sweet crackers, sausage
Menu #15 Lunch: hard crackers, beef in peanut sauce
Menu #15 Supper: sweet Italian bread, chicken w/garden vegetables
Menu #15 Accy: condensed milk, chocolate-covered banana chips, milk caramels, raw sugar bar

Menu #16 Bfst: fortified breakfast drink, fruit pastry, calentado (Colombian version of an all-day breakfast)
Menu #16 Lunch: milk bread, chickpeas w/beef
Menu #16 Supper: wine cake, stewed potatoes w/beef
Menu #16 Accy: condensed milk, peanut energy bar, toasted corn kernels, raw sugar bar

Menu #17 Bfst: chocolate milk drink, soy flour bread, tamale
Menu #17 Lunch: chocolate swirl pastry, beans w/beef
Menu #17 Supper: salted crackers, meatloaf
Menu #17 Accy: condensed milk, chocolate-covered peanuts, milk caramels, raw sugar bar

Menu #18 Bfst: powdered yogurt drink, breakfast brownie
Menu #18 Lunch: hard crackers, stuffed pork
Menu #18 Supper: enriched crackers, goulash
Menu #18 Accy: condensed milk, toasted corn kernels, mixed nuts, raw sugar bar

Menu #19 Bfst: chocolate cheese drink, fruit pastry, scrambled egg & cheese tamale
Menu #19 Lunch: oat biscuits, beans w/sausage
Menu #19 Supper: coconut cream pastry, trout w/rice
Menu #19 Accy: condensed milk, salted peanuts, chocolate-covered caramel bar, raw sugar bar

Menu #20 Bfst: instant coffee w/non-dairy creamer, corn cake w/cheese
Menu #20 Lunch: sesame seed bread, navy beans
Menu #20 Supper: milk bread, jamonada (South American "Spam")
Menu #20 Accy: condensed milk, guayaba paste sandwich cookies, Japanese-spiced peanuts, raw sugar bar