
Cans of minestrone and ravioli, sticks of bubblegum and freeze-dried packets of chicken rogan josh are just some of the essential foods eaten by soldiers in the field around the globe.

Italian industrial designer, Giulio Iacchetti has displayed the contents of army ration packs for an exhibition, providing a glimpse into the difference between the daily diets of the world's military.

The stark portraits form the basis of new exhibit K-RATION: Meals for Soldiers in Action which is on display until 22 February at the 2015 Expo Milano in Milan, Italy.

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The UK ration pack contains: Chicken sausage and beans; Mexican tuna pasta; paella; lemon cake; compote; Oat biscuit; raspberry jam; caramel cereal bar; apricot bar; salted cashews; sweets; hazelnut spread with cocoa; fruit drink; hot chocolate; coffee; coffee whitener; tea; Tabasco; sugar; water purification tablets; paper tissues; matches; chewing gums; wet wipes; spork and a re-usable bag

The US pack: Vegetarian ratatouille with pasta; hot snack crackers; crackers; almond poppy seed pound cake; peanut butter; tropical punch powder; salt; seasoning blend; sugar; coffee; coffee whitener; chewing gums; wet wipe; matches; toilet paper; plastic spoon; water-activated disposable heaters and a beverage bag

The exhibition is named after the individual daily combat food ration introduced by the US Army during the Second World War.

It was originally intended as an individually packaged daily ration for issue to airborne troops, tank corps, motorcycle couriers, and other mobile forces and included three meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

For the K-Ration exhibition, exhibited at La Triennale di Milano, Milan, Italy, the designer laid out the ration packs of the 20 different countries - which contain enough food to feed a soldier for 24 hours - before getting photographer Fabrizia Parisi to document his work.

The countries he focused on include the UK, the US; Denmark; France; Spain; Sweden; Tanzania; Thailand; Ukraine; Estonia; Holland; Israel; Italy; Slovenia; Lithuania; New Zealand; Germany; Poland and Russia.

Designer Mr Iacchetti wrote in his show notes: 'This sample illustrates the variety of menus and the different quantities of calories, but also the difference in the accessories that come with rations, such as folding openers, camp stoves, bags for waste, airtight containers for matches of different lengths, and so on.

He told Fast Co. Design that he, 'is fascinated by the extreme functionality of anonymously designed items like field rations.'

Denmark: Cereal mix with fruits; pasta with meat sauce; rye bread; biscuits; pate; toothpicks; biodegradable fork-spoon; jam; honey; hazelnut spread; protein bars; isotonic drink; compote; chocolate drink; coffee; tea; matches; raisins; nut mix; chewing gum; sugar; salt; pepper; tomato ketchup; wet wipes and a toothbrush

France: Beef tortellini; Oriental salad; salmon pate; instant soup; milky dessert; salted and sweet biscuits; coffee; tea; instant chocolate drink; sweets; nougat; fruit jelly; energy bar; muesli; isotonic drink powder; chocolate; jam; tissues; reheating kit; matches and water purification tablets

Spain: Chicken and pasta instant soup; baked beans with sausages; sardines in vegetable oil; apricot cream; water purification tablets; solid fuel tablets; isotonic drink; chewing gum; matches; stove; papers napkins; toothpaste; hand disinfectant; chocolate with almonds; almond nougat; sesame bar; sweets and isoenergetic gel with vitamins

'Even though field rations look so synthetic, they're sometimes better designed than what was usually call 'design.'

He also included the Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti's rations on the International Space Station as part of the exhibition.

He wrote: 'She eats thermo-stabilised and freeze-dried foods (cereals, spiced mackerel and wild berries but no bread), which maintain the flavours, fragrances and tastes of the original dishes.

'They can last for months even without a refrigerator, an appliance not found on spaceships. It may not be a K-ration, but it's pretty close.

'K-Ration also has another important quality: it reminds us how different cultures have given similar, but never identical, solutions to the same problems.

'Showing how even in the most extreme situations – on the battlefield or in outer space – people never forget the culture of the place that first fed them.'

Sweden: Yoghurt with breakfast flakes; chicken Rogan josh with rice; meatballs with pasta; sweets; peanut butter; nut cream; chocolate cake; oat biscuits; salted peanuts; honeyroasted peanuts; exotic fruit isotonic drink; chocolate drink; chewing gums; wet wipes and coffee

Tanzania: Chicken stew; rice; porridge; biscuits; mango drink; orange drink; coffee; tea; sugar; pepper; salt; wet wipe; paper napkin; matches; fuel tablets; water-activated disposable heaters and plastic cutlery

Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti's international space station ration pack: Peas' brown rice; champignon mushrooms; mackerel' leek cream;quinoa; dried tomatoes and turmeric chicken

Thailand: Yellow soup with fish; jasmine rice; beef with pepper and garlic; chilli powder; fish sauce; dried fruits and a plastic spoon

These simple military kits reveal significant differences in the various countries they come from and the rations are generally characterised by their extreme simplicity in terms of size, together with packaging that is ideal for carrying in a backpack.

Mr Iacchetti said: 'Reflecting this concept, the words of T.E. Lawrence – "a well-equipped, well-fed soldier is hard to beat", an idea also taken up by Che Guevara – emphasise how a correct, healthy diet in the field is on a par with other aspects of a much more offensive nature.'

Today, the composition of food rations varies from one country to another.

Some K-rations on show reveal a variety of products - freeze-dried, dehydrated, in tins and packets or tubes - with sparsely designed labels.

The UK pack contains freeze-dried packs of chicken sausage and beans, Mexican tuna pasta and paella.

For dessert there is lemon cake, compote, oat biscuits and raspberry jam. Snacks are a caramel cereal bar, apricot bar, salted cashews, sweets and hazelnut spread with cocoa.

Estonia: Muesli; whole rye bread; coffee; chicken soup with noodles; dark chocolate with cornflakesand guarana; sweet crackers; toffees; tea; isotonic drink; sugar; salt; pepper; liver pâté; beef goulash; disinfectant wipes; plastic bag and matches

Holland: Tea; coffee; coffee whitener; sugar; chocolate drink; jam; fruit jelly; vitamin tablets; instant soups; broth powder; fruit drinks; chocolate biscuits; fruit filled biscuits; meat, fish, vegetable pâté; candied almonds; chocolate; sweets with vitamin C; sweets; sesame bar; sambal; oatmeal block; muesli; meat with peas and potatoes; hot chicken stew; chicken korma; beef and potato hotpot; ham, leeks and potato hotpot; zipper bags; matches; paper tissues; salt; pepper; chewing gums and toothpicks

Israel: Chicken meatballs with rice; beef meatballs with rice; beans with tomato sauceRice stuffed grape leaves; vegetarian meal with rice and chickpeas; sweetcorn; green olives; tuna in vegetable oil; chocolate dessert; peanuts; halva; candied fruit mix with pineapple, pawpaw, raisin, and blueberries; plastic bags; tin opener and water-activated disposable heaters

Italy: Cereal and chocolate bar; fruit jellies; condensed milk; coffee; chocolate; sugar; salt, ravioli with meat sauce; pork in jelly; crackers; fruit salad; multivitamin tablets; bran tablets; pasta and beans; chicken in jelly; energetic bar' toothbrushes; kit for water disinfection; matches; toothpicks; paper rubbish bags; camp stove; fuel bars; napkins; plastic spoon; plastic cutlery

Slovenia: Coffee; coffee whitener; tea; vitamin drinks; sugar; vitamin sweets; energy bars; chocolate jam; chocolate muesli with dehydrated milk; dehydrated wild berry yogurt dessert; pasta with porcini; chicken and potato stew; fish and vegetable pâté; tuna in olive oil; bread; chewing gums; disinfectant wipes; can opener; rubbish bag; matches and plastic cutlery.

Liquids come in the form of a fruit drink, hot chocolate, coffee (with coffee whitener) and tea. There even is small bottle of Tabasco sitting alongside more prosaic items such as sugar, water purification tablets, paper tissues, matches, chewing gums, wet wipes, a spork and a re-usable bag.

Though not the work of visual or graphic designers, it is hard not to notice the high quality of the graphics, which respond to the need to condense information about the content, doses and mode of consumption in just a few clear messages.

'In the year of Expo 2015, which is also devoted to the importance of nutrition, this small exhibition intends to give future visitors to the World Expo a fresh look at this particular way of approaching, and designing, food,' the show notes state.

Lithuania: Beef stew with pearl barley; crackers; almonds; blackcurrant jam; cherry drink with vitamins; chocolate; chicken broth powde; sugar; wet wipe; matches; fuel tablets; water-activated disposable heaters; paper tray; cable tie and plastic spoon

New Zealand: Creamy chicken and potatoes; Thai lamb curry; chocolate biscuits; Marmite; tomato ketchup; salt; pepper; sugar; tea; coffee; condensed milk; waterproof matches; chocolate drink; scouring pad; cheese; muesli; isotonic drink; bread; instant soup; plastic bag; peanuts and raisins; chewing gums; chocolate; napkins; onion flakes; sweets; instant noodles; muesli bars and strawberry fruit grains

Germany: Ravioli with mushroom sauce; Indian rice with chicken cutlet; bread; biscuits; meat pâté; semolina with fruits;snack; jam; coffee; tea; sugar; coffee whitener; salt; fruit drinks; chocolate; chewing gums; water purification tablets; multipurpose paper; wet wipes and matches

Poland: Meat with rice and vegetables; canned pork; biscuits; raspberry jam; lemon tea; dried fruit mix; cereal and fruit bar; chewing gums; sweet with coffee extract; sweet with vitamin C; salt; pepper; plastic lid; napkin; wet wipe; toilet paper; zipper bag; plastic spoon; straw; hooks; water purification tablet and water-activated disposable heaters

Russia: Biscuits; Wholewheat biscuits; beef goulash; salted lard; liver pate; meat pate; beef with buckwheat semolina; meat with peas and carrots; ratatouille, fruit and berry concentrate; cheese spread; jam; compote; chocolate; tea; coffee; coffee whitener; sugar; salt; pepper; multivitamin tablets; chewing gums; sweets; water purification tablets; heater; waterproof matches; disinfectant wipes; paper napkins; plastic spoons and a plastic knife

Ukraine: Millet flour biscuits; canned meat; canned meat with cereals; canned meat with minced salami; canned fish; jam; tea; sugar; sweets; plastic spoons' paper napkins; disinfectant wipes; meat broth powder; fruit concentrate and multivitamin pills



