Sending Food Gifts to the Military

Sending Food Gifts to the Military

If you'd like to send a gourmet food gift to a loved one in the U.S. Military, you are limited as to what you can send.

Food safety specialists at USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline offer the following advice concerning food gifts for armed forces serving away from home:

Recommendations for food gifts:

1. Dried beef or poultry such as beef jerky, turkey jerky, or beef slims are safe to mail. Bacteria can't multiply in food preserved by removing moisture.

2. Dehydrated soups and fruit drink mixes are lightweight and safe to mail. Regional condiments such as hot sauce and Cajun seasonings in packets are useful for spicing up Meals Ready to Eat (MREs).

3. Canned specialties such as patè, corned beef, shelf-stable hams, anchovies, shrimp, dips, and cracker spreads make nice treats. However, tell your loved one not to use any cans that are damaged or swollen. Foods in glass containers should not be mailed because the container can break.

4. Dense and dry baked goods such as fruitcakes and biscotti are good choices for mailing because they will not become moldy.

5. Other suitable baked goods include commercially-packaged cakes and cookies in airtight tins, dry cookies such as ginger snaps, and specialty crackers.

6. High-moisture baked goods such as pumpkin bread - while safe at room temperature for a few days - should not be mailed because they will most likely mold before delivery.

Fragile foods like delicate cookies won't make the trip intact. When mailing firm cookies and homemade candies, wrap each piece individually and pack items in commercially popped popcorn or foam packing "peanuts" to help cushion the trip.

Place the food gifts in a sturdy box and seal it securely with packing tape.
Dried fruits such as raisins and apricots, canned nuts and fruit, and commercially-packaged trail mix need no refrigeration.
Hard candies and firm homemade sweets such as fudge, pralines, and toffee are safe to mail because their high sugar content prevents bacterial growth.

As an alternative to homemade gifts, some families may wish to send a military member's favorite mail order foods. Shelf stable beef "summer sausage," cheeses, cakes and snacks can be ordered on the Internet or through mail order catalogues. Because of the delivery time and distances between the U.S. and duty stations overseas, do not order any food gifts that must be kept refrigerated for safety.

And one last thing to remember when sending food overseas to the military: you must have a specific address for your service member. Mail addressed to "Any Serviceman" will not be accepted by the U.S. Postal Service for security reasons.