If you are in the forces and have been served disgusting food, send your meal photos to pictures@mailonline.co.uk

But food suppliers Sodexo say they are not threatening to sue anyone

Soldiers complaining online about the disgusting meals they have been served up in Army cookhouses have reportedly been warned they could face legal action.

The grim meals, which included maggot-infested tomatoes, mouldy eggs and raw chicken, hit the headlines earlier this week after a number of servicemen shared pictures on social media.

But army bosses have now allegedly warned them that they could face action for slander from the company that provides army meals, Sodexo.

However, Sodexo say that they have no plans to sue soldiers.

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Servicemen and women from across the UK have taken to posting pictures of some of the disgusting meals they are allegedly being served in a bid to shame Ministry of Defence catering contractors

This is another of the servings that disgusted soldiers so much that they started posting pictures on catering company Sodexo's Facebook page. But they have been warned by army bosses they could face legal action

Other dishes pictured include a maggot in the tinned tomatoes (left) and a piece of bloody chicken (right)

The reported threat, which allegedly came from army bosses, not Sodexo, sparked a wave of fury among servicemen who were angry about being told not to post the pictures

Following the online furore sparked by the circulation of the pictures, a spokesman for Sodexo UK and Ireland released the following statement: 'There are images being circulated here and on other social media sites claiming to be poor quality or unsafe food served to the military by Sodexo.

'We are unable to investigate these allegations properly because the details of where and when the food was served are not being provided.

'If you have a complaint about food which you were served you must take it back to the counter immediately or raise your concerns with a member of Sodexo staff at your site as soon as possible.'

It sparked further outrage on social media from soldiers, who posted angry responses to the company telling soldiers to share their frustrations in its comments book, not social media.

Stuart Mixer wrote: 'Legal team, slander, what sort of bullying organisation are you?

Darren Catlow said: 'Your food is terrible, your staff ill-trained and your methods of customer service and handling feedback is bordering bullying.'

Sodexo - one of the world's largest catering firms - supplies meals to 80 Army, Navy and RAF sites in the UK, Cyprus and the Falklands.

Other 'appetising' lunch options, which were shared to Facebook, included rotten apples and mouldy cheese sandwiches.

Another of the pictures posted on Facebook shows a mouldy fried egg (pictured) covered in green spots

A rather paltry attempt at a ham sanwich which was served up to some of the military personnel

Among the most disgusting were pictures from a soldier calling himself 'Alfie' who says he has formally complained to the government's Food Standards Agency.

One particularly graphic image shows what looks like a maggot lying in a pool of tomatoes. Another shows a mouldy fried egg covered in green spots and a raw, bloody chicken drumstick.

Legal team, slander, what sort of bullying organisation are you? Stuart Mixer, Facebook

In a scathing open letter to army bosses on Facebook 'Alfie' wrote: 'Would you feed a homeless person undercooked or raw chicken? Would you serve it to a paying customer in a restaurant?

'Would you feed it to your kids for their dinner? I would like to think the answer to these questions is no, of course not. So why is the answer yes to serving soldiers paying for these meals?

'I have taken the time to put a few photos together so you can see what the blokes are being served.

'We all know these complaints fall on deaf ears. I have already posted these questions, along with images, to Sodexo for response.

'Unfortunately, these posts have been deleted and I have now been blocked by Sodexo UK.

'I'm sure you're as troubled as I am to see mouldy eggs, undercooked chicken and maggots in tomatoes served to our service personnel.'

Sodexo, one of the world's largest catering firms, supply more than 80 Army, Navy and RAF sites in the UK

A baked potato served up to one serving member of the armed forces which was posted to Facebook

Soldiers have now apparently also been warned by senior NCO's that Sodexo may sue servicemen who paint a negative picture of their catering standards.

One anonymous soldier posted online: 'I'm at [my base] and just got a brief from the troop admin, from the RSM (Regimental Sergeant Major).

'No-one is to post anything online about Sodexo, someone took a photo of a comments book from the cook house and posted it online, not sure where, so now Sodexo is bringing in a legal team and anyone caught posting things online about Sodexo will face legal action for 'corporate slander'."

'If the lads aren't lying and can prove the food is unacceptable then they cannot be done with slander John Sartain, Facebook

Fellow squaddies and ex-servicemen posted their responses to the allegation and argued that Sodexo did not have a case to answer. Others claimed that senior staff were merely making the threats as a 'scare tactic' to keep soldiers in line.

Facebook user John Sartain said: 'Slander: The action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation.

'If the lads aren't lying and can prove the food is unacceptable then they cannot be done with slander. For it to be slander, deliberate lies have to be told. Scare tactics!'

Sodexo strongly refuted the claims and said soldiers were more than welcome to raise issues in the cookhouse commentary books.

A spokesman for the catering firm said: 'There is no truth in the reports that Sodexo intends to sue anyone posting comments on social media sites and we do not condone anyone saying that we are.

The vile pictures have sparked outrage online (pictured: another mouldy egg, left, and a rotten apple, right)

A mouldy cheese sandwich (pictured left) and a mouldy boiled egg (right) were also shared online

'We are asking our customers who have complaints to inform a member of the Sodexo team on site to write in the comments book or to email us so that we can properly investigate any complaints that relate to Sodexo food and take appropriate action.

'We are listening to the issues raised about service at military sites which we operate and take them very seriously.

'We have implemented a number of steps to ensure that the food served meets the best standards possible and any complaints made at our sites are looked onto and addressed straight away.'

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However, soldiers have said that even writing in the comments book does not resolve issues.

Colin Simpson wrote online: 'I filled in a comment sheet, they all crowded round to see it, took it to the kitchen manager who chased after me asking me to explain meself [sic].'

An online petition to Parliament calling for investigations into the standard of food served to the military and Sodexo services already has over 10,000 signatures.

It says: 'I have witnessed the standard of food served to the military. Sodexo provides unhealthy food cold and substandard services.

'The Government spend less per head on a soldier than it does on a prisoner. Poor use of tax payer money and shameful to do this to the military personnel.'