Rations are used for a variety of military and non-military purposes, whether it be camping, long range missions, or as part of humanitarian aid in disasters, etc.. Designed to be edible regardless of whether it is heated, easily accessible and stored, and with a long shelf life; rations are invaluable when other means of obtaining food and maintaining one's nutritional support is unlikely or impossible.

Needless to say, the quality of the food may vary from country to country. The package illustrated is intended to resemble the United States military's MRE.