Over the next four years, a bakery in Lower Austria will supply 80,000 tins of wholemeal rye bread to soldiers in the Austrian army.
On Friday, May 21, Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner visited the Deiser bakery. The company was awarded the contract for the catering service following a public tender. Minister Tanner came to see for herself and was briefed on site about the bakery’s production process and the regionality of the ingredients.
“The Deiser bakery is a reliable partner that is committed to the concept of sustainability in an exemplary manner. The use of climate-friendly catering through the use of regional products processed using sustainable production methods is an important step in the right direction. I am firmly convinced that this new, high-quality canned bread will taste good to our soldiers and provide them with plenty of energy for their tasks,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.
As part of the measures to achieve self-sufficiency in the barracks, the supply of emergency catering is of key importance. In the event of a failure of the standard supply, for example due to a blackout, the ability to hold out in the barracks is ensured with the help of catering that is independent of suppliers – both at home and for the contingents abroad. The canned bread produced by the Deiser bakery is a key component of this “food reserve”. Of these, 7,600 portions have already been delivered to the armed forces for stockpiling during deployments abroad.
Since this year, this concept has been in operation in nine army barracks across the country for 7,800 people. It should be possible to last two weeks without normal care; this is planned for a total of 30,700 people in 100 barracks.
The Deiser bakery has been energy self-sufficient since 2018 and works entirely with renewable energy. It has resumed the production of canned bread in Austria for the first time in 20 years. The special thing about this bread is that it can be kept for up to ten years. This is in line with the army’s self-sufficiency project. The army is preparing for blackouts and is therefore investing in self-sufficient and independent barracks; the measures for this should be completed by 2024.
