UK Edition
Surplus Army rations handed out to feed the homeless under MOD plans
Surplus rations from the Armed Forces could be handed out to feed the homeless, The Sunday Telegraph can disclose.
Gavin Williamson, the Defence secretary, ordered "urgent advice" on whether ration packs approaching the end of their shelf life can be handed to charities or good causes.
It follows years of campaigning in Parliament by respected Labour MP Frank Field for spare rations to be handed to those in need, particularly homeless people.
Army rations suit the homeless because they are designed for people to eat when they are on the move, or in the open air.
Mr Field said the issue had been repeatedly raised by food banks, because of problems associated with catering for people who cannot cook or store food.
He said: “It is brilliant news. For a growing number of homeless men and women it will be an incredible important initiative to have these food packs which they can heat by tearing open the tops.”
Mr Williamson’s review is also examining how “non-perishable items” in ration packs can be reused. Currently the packs are thrown away in line with food safety legislation. More than 12,000 operational ration packs were thrown away between April and December last year - more than in the previous 12 months.
Mr Williamson told The Sunday Telegraph: “I have commissioned urgent advice on what more the Armed Forces can do to minimize our food waste.
“We already take steps to ensure that only 0.4 per cent of the ration packs we produce are disposed of, but I am determined that more could be done.
“Both recycling and gifting to charities are options that I would like to see explored.
“We are seeing an increasing number of schemes whereby restaurants and supermarkets donate their unsold stocks and I would like to see more examples of this in the Armed Forces.
“It is right that the Ministry of Defence plays its part to help protect our natural world and ensure we leave our environment in a better condition than we inherited it.”
Around 1.6 million “Operational Ration Packs” are consumed by troops every year, with around 0.4 per cent being sent for disposal after reaching the end of their two-year shelf life, the MoD said.
The department SAT said the packs were required to provide the British Armed Forces with a worldwide capability to sustain individuals on operations.