The gold tin makes a comeback in Boden
For many people who have completed military service in Sweden, the gold-coloured tin may bring back a few memories. Now, the “gold tin” has taken on a new role in Boden. Thousands of portions of freeze-dried food have been stockpiled to help the municipality continue providing meals for children, students and older people during a prolonged crisis.
Boden Municipality is working to maintain its ability to provide meals over an extended period, even if regular supply chains are disrupted. During Preparedness Week, part of this solution was put to the test in the kitchen at Björknäs Upper Secondary School, where some of the municipality’s newly purchased gold tins were opened, prepared and tasted.
When regular supplies run out
The freeze-dried food is not the first option in the event of a disruption. Fresh and frozen food, dry goods and canned food already available within municipal services will be used first. The gold tins are instead kept in a central emergency stockpile and have a shelf life of up to 25 years.
– We keep a rotating stock of food in our kitchens that allows us to continue providing meals for about a week. When those supplies begin to run low, the freeze-dried food can take over, allowing us to continue serving good meals for a longer period, says Johanna Lindblad, Head of the Food Services Department.
The meals are prepared by adding water and can also be made using cold water if, for example, there is a power outage.
– It’s really exciting to be able to test this in practice. We need to practise and learn how to handle the food before a crisis occurs. And of course, it’s also fun to taste it – personally, I think it tastes really good, says Johanna Lindblad.
Johanna Lindblad, Head of the Food Services Department.
Preparedness needs to be practised
The tasting brought together representatives from various municipal services and parts of civil society. The purpose was not only to test the food, but also to build knowledge and experience of how preparedness measures work in practice.
– We have seen that services within the Social Services Department can quickly become vulnerable during a crisis. That is why we have prioritised this area as we build up our emergency food stocks. But preparedness is not just about purchasing food and equipment. We also need to practise, test our solutions and know how everything should be used when it is really needed, says Disa Kristinsdottir, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator.
Disa Kristinsdottir, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator.
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Text by: André Samuelsson
Photo by: Patrik Öhman
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