No need to reheat: Ready-to-eat meals can be stored for months

The meals do not require reheating before consumption and can be stored for months, and 150,000 of them will be distributed to schools and active ageing centres during the 2025 Total Defence exercise.

- Mike Yeo

More than 100,000 students and teachers at over 90 schools and three ITE colleges, along with around 8,000 senior citizens from 111 active ageing centres, will be able to sample the meals.

These ambient ready-to-eat meals have no added preservatives or additives and can be stored without refrigeration.

The distribution, taking place from Feb 15 to 28, is part of the 2025 Exercise SG Ready, which will see a focus on strengthening food resilience amid simulated power outages.

The halal-certified meals – including curry chicken with briyani rice, fish porridge with sweet potato and pumpkin, and vegetable marinara pasta – are developed by food solutions provider Sats using advanced techniques similar to those used for Singapore Armed Forces combat rations.

The number of meals distributed at the exercise in 2025 is an increase from the 50,000 in 2024.