DOT, the procurement agency of the MoD, initiates food catalog update: what will change for the military

The Ministry of Defence’s procurement agency, the State Operator for Non-Lethal Acquisition (DOT), presented proposals to the Ministry of Defence, the Logistics Forces Command, and the Medical Forces Command for updating the Foodstuff Catalog for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The purpose of the initiative is to optimize the assortment while maintaining its diversity and avoiding the devaluation of the total cost of the meal set.

“Updating the Catalog is a logical continuation of DOT’s systematic efforts to implement an efficient, transparent, and economically justified procurement model for the military. Last year alone, this approach saved approximately UAH 6 billion of the over UAH 29 billion allocated for food provisions. Our priority is to provide the military with high-quality, balanced food supplies while increasing the efficiency of budget fund utilization,” said Glib Kanievskyi, Director of the Procurement Policy Department at the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

The Catalog update is informed by data from digitizing food supply consumption accounting, facilitating decisions based on accurate statistics.

Due to active combat operations and changing demands from military personnel, it is proposed to remove items from the catalog that are rarely ordered because of difficulties related to transportation, storage, or consumption. This includes certain meat, dairy, vegetable, and fruit items. For instance, the plan includes replacing raspberries with blueberries, partially substituting chilled pork and certain fish items with frozen alternatives, and so on.

“As practice shows, given the longer shelf life, military personnel prefer frozen meat and fish products over chilled ones when alternatives are available. Due to the need for specialized transport and storage, berries—particularly raspberries—frequently arrive in unsatisfactory condition. As for fish, plans are in place to expand the selection of Ukrainian products, including calibrated steaks and frozen, cleaned, and gutted fish from local suppliers. Other items proposed for removal have comparable alternatives in the Catalog, so these changes will not affect the overall diversity of the assortment,” commented Halyna Litosh, Director of the Food Program at DOT.

In addition, there is a demand to include new items in the Catalog that are not currently listed but are in high demand among service members. These include zefir (marshmallows), halva, muffins, frozen silver carp (bighead carp) steaks, and bottled water in containers of up to 6 liters.

“This year, the Catalog includes 360 items, some of which are rarely consumed. This creates risks of price manipulation and complicates the establishment of an economically justified total cost for the meal set. We have already gone through previous stages of updating the Catalog, so these changes are a logical continuation of those efforts. We intend to revise the number of items to around 340,” noted Halyna Litosh.

In parallel, efforts are underway to review product descriptions to ensure they meet current state standards and accurately represent actual market offerings.

Next steps include engaging with the market, analyzing proposals, and finalizing the composition of the updated Catalog.