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I understand that Mishloach Manot needs to be ready-to-eat food (according to most opinions. There are some that say that raw meat is fine.)

Mishnah Berurah (695:18), who quotes the Binyan Tziyon as being in doubt whether one fulfills without a shli’ach. (Thanks to DonielF for reference.)

According to this opinion, is it OK if someone gives his shaliach (aka "errand guy / gal") his / her credit card and instructs him / her to buy catered food and deliver it to someone? Does that fulfill the mitzvah, or does the person hav eto giv ethe shaliach only food to be delivered?

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  • Raw meat is technically edible immediately. Nasty, perhaps, but still edible.
    – DonielF
    Feb 21, 2019 at 21:55
  • @DonielF You're probably much younger than me. When I was a kid (I was younger a while ago, people tell me) my grandma's raw meat balls were almost as good as after they were cooked in schmaltz.
    – DanF
    Feb 22, 2019 at 15:30
  • Given that you’ve said you’re married with kids, and I’m not married, I’d imagine you’re correct. :) Are you saying that your grandma’s raw meat balls were delicious or disgusting?
    – DonielF
    Feb 22, 2019 at 15:36
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    @DonielF Not just delicious - delectable. Incidentally, I have seen the "Jewish / Japanese" version of "steak tartare" in some stores in my neighborhood. For lack of a better name, they're calling it "fleishig sushi". I haven't tried it, but, to me, sushi must be raw fish. Anything else is a shanda to the Japanese.
    – DanF
    Feb 22, 2019 at 15:40

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There are a number of tzedakah sites that send mishloach manot to people in Israel (not not matanos laevyonim) and guarantee with a psak from rabbonim that one would be yotzei the mitzvah. One example is the American Zionist Movement

This year, for the 2018 Purim Connection, the American Zionist Movement collaborated with its member organizations, networks and volunteers in Israel on two exciting projects in celebration of Purim. This includes partnerships with our Purim Connection coordinating partner, the Israel Forever Foundation, along with Yad Ezra V’Shulamit, Yashar L’Chayal, AMIT Children and Bnei Akiva.

Mishloach Manot – baskets of treats – were distributed to impoverished Israeli children and to Israel’s Border Police “Magav” (מִשְׁמַר הַגְּבוּל) to bring Purim joy to the guardians and citizens of Israel. The brave men and women of the Border Police guard and protect the State of Israel and are often the first line of defense against urban and cross-border terrorism.

Note that while poor children can be considered the recipients of matanos la'aniyim, the border police and those organizations that send to Tzahal would be sending Mishloach Manot. In this case, since you are sending money to the organization, which then buys food for the recipient, it is as if you sent the food via the shaliach.

Mishloach Manot -OU Torah cites:

The posekim of the last several hundred years discuss many differences in the performance of the mitzvah, depending on the reasoning behind it. For example, according to Rav Alkabetz, sending non-food items is acceptable3 because such a package also engenders friendship

3. Some reject non-food ideas for technical reasons. For example, the Gra (695 on seif 4) learns from Beitzah 14b that “manot” means specifically food. Some suggest that one can send money because it can then be used to purchase food. The Be’er Heiteiv (695:6) rules that non-food items are acceptable as long as there is still time on Purim day to sell the items and purchase food. See Yechave Da’at 6:45 for a discussion of this.

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