MRE lifespan

[ginman]

I guess this can be a useful topic. We all know MRE?s are temperature sensitive, but what is everyone?s experiences with MRE lifespans? I have some cases that sit in 75 degrees for 3 months a year and cooler than that the rest of the time. I used a few on a hunting trip this year that were packaged in 2018 and were perfectly fine. How have your MRE?s been stored and how long? Are they good still?

[223556]

Been wondering the same here too. Opened up a couple few weeks ago and they seemed ok.
Think production was 2012/14?! Never able to really decipher the date codes…
I figured it was fine since I’m still breathing.

[G-forceJunkie]

https://www.mreinfo.com/mres/mre-shelf-life/

[trailblazer87]

Originally Posted by 223556

Been wondering the same here too. Opened up a couple few weeks ago and they seemed ok.
Think production was 2012/14?! Never able to really decipher the date codes?
I figured it was fine since I?m still breathing.

They may not grow harmful bacteria but the actual nutritional value deteriorates over time. Vitamin C, A, the various B vitamins all drop over time.

[middleofnowhere]

I have some in the garage from the 1990s

[superhondaz50]

Check out steve1989mreinfo on YouTube

[G-forceJunkie]

Originally Posted by superhondaz50

Check out steve1989mreinfo on YouTube

Nice!

[PogoJack]

There?s a guy on YouTube who eats MREs from WWI and the Boer Wars. Pretty nasty at times.

[ireload]

I've eaten MREs that were over 20 years old. I do agree that nutritional values has gone down, but still edible. They were stored in a hallway closet. Stable temperature.

[user120312]

Originally Posted by ginman

How have your MRE?s been stored and how long? Are they good still?

I have very little survival food and have had good luck in my climate storing normal canned and dried foods for the better part of a decade now without issue. I kept some samples from when I first bought my place back in 2015 as controls to try on occasion as parts of typical diet. Current inventory of short-term human food is about a year's worth for one person. I also have a separate program for the cat.

Since I have a larger budget now after selling the CA place I've been getting more into survival food items but don't yet have long-term results to report.

Where I live, I store most of the survival items in a purpose built building back in the trees by the creek. It rarely sees 70's in summer and stays above freezing most winters and the humidity is normally around 50-60%.

Forex, turkey day will be mostly two-three year stored food. Turkey spam, scallop potatoes (dried), stuffing mix, canned pumpkin and ingredients to make pumpkin pie, canned green beans and mushroom soup to make green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, etc, etc. All bought during the heyday of Covid with SNAP from the state of OR.

If bugging out was a priority, IMO MRE's would top the list. As is, where I live is bugged-out so I'm not going anywhere and see little advantage to them over other long term items that the state will pay for. Pragmatism wins.