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The distribution, taking place from Feb 15 to 28, is part of which will see a focus on strengthening food resilience while participants experience 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.

Mr Stanley Goh, chief executive of Sats Food Solutions, said: “We use advanced food preparation technology to extend shelf life by eliminating pathogens and organisms that could cause food spoilage, enabling the meals to be stored in ambient conditions while preserving taste and quality.”

Sats, which works with the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), ensures that all meals contain locally grown and sourced ingredients while also meeting nutritional requirements. 

These ingredients include kangkong, quail eggs and tilapia, and each meal option contains at least two of these local ingredients.

Different dietary requirements are also catered for, with the vegetable marinara pasta being suitable for vegans. 

According to Ms Jean Sin, head of innovation and product development at Sats, the dishes were selected together with the SFA after the company developed about 10 products.

She was speaking to the media on Feb 13 at Sats’ global innovation hub in The Arts House, where The Straits Times was able to sample the meals in heated and unheated forms.

One of her team’s objectives was to ensure that consumers would be unable to detect any significant difference between a freshly cooked meal and a ready-to-eat option that had been stored for as long as eight months. 

“The whole idea of this campaign is to allow consumers to consume the meals in times of crisis, and we still want to ensure that the food still tastes fresh, looks fresh, palatable and tastes good,” she told ST in a video interview. 

The selection process followed a research and development period of roughly six months, during which the team selected ingredients best suited to the cooking and storage process, while retaining the flavour and texture. 

It also involved determining the best way to cook each meal, with attention paid to details to ensure, for example, that the rice would not end up being too dry.  

The recipes were refined through multiple rounds of tasting sessions across focus groups. 

Sats said the meals have a listed shelf life of eight months if stored in cool, dry conditions, although Ms Sin noted that they can remain edible even after 12 months or more.  

This is made possible via a retort sterilisation process, which uses heat and high pressure to destroy bacteria and micro-organisms. 

Each meal is individually tested for leaks, and an SFA-accredited laboratory conducts sample microbiological testing to ensure food safety. Sats also carries out monthly shelf-life validation tests to explore storing the meals for longer periods without compromising safety and taste.

What is ST’s verdict after trying both the ambient temperature and heated versions? Most of the dishes retained their flavours well even at ambient temperatures. Only the curry chicken with briyani rice had a perceptible difference in taste compared with its heated version, although it, like the other meals, were definitely palatable.

• Mike Yeo is a correspondent at The Straits Times, where he covers mainly defence issues.

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