How long do MREs really last?
Posted by Empty_Equivalent6013@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 38 comments
I recently acquired two boxes of MREs because they’re a year away from their expiration date. These are the exact same MREs they give to servicemen and women (at least they’re the same kind from my time 05-11).
I’ve read a couple different things regarding actual shelf life. I’ve heard a variety of different time frames and I’ve heard different things about what happens when they expire. I’ve heard don’t eat them so you don’t get food poisoning and I’ve heard that the taste is the only thing affected.
What do you guys know?
Wise-Astronomer6185@reddit
Late to the party. I did basic at Knox in the late 90s, and we had the old metal lined dark green bags from the late 70s early 80s. I'm 45 now, and I think im still alive but still an old CDAT.
IndividualistAW@reddit
Cold weather MREs probably last indefinitely
AggravatingAd9394@reddit
Probably the opposite of not stored in the cold
No-Ideal-6662@reddit
I ate a 15 yr old MRE at bootcamp. The cheese spread was rancid but everything else was edible. Also my DI still made me eat the cheese spread and I’m still kicking
DharmaBaller@reddit
Yah the cheese spreads don't do well.
dp226@reddit
Expiration date is generally a test date not a hard expiration date. They will last for a long time but the taste and nutritional value goes down over time. You should not get sick if the packaging (individual items) is still intact. If he packaging is swelling or open then don't eat it. Keep in a cool dry place for maximum life. My experience is that the crackers start tasting bad first but even if not palatable, they are not going to make you sick.
DharmaBaller@reddit
Yah crackers and chocolate and cocoa powder oxidize I think
kkinnison@reddit
The "expiration dates" are more to maintain the manufacturing industry and secondary resell market that makes them so there is turnover. Lots of people who are responsible for removing the expired MREs have found ways to make a little money from it.
What would happen if the Army decided the MREs lasted 10 years or more and wouldn't reorder more when they reached their supply goal? Then some disaster or war happens, depletes their stock, and find out the company that made the MREs, shutdown due to no demand.
I have eaten 15 year old MREs with no issue, and still tasted fine. I would not be surprised if 30 year old MREs were still good if stored at room temperature and not exposed to extreme temps
DharmaBaller@reddit
30 year old ones were fine for me last week. Bbq pork beans tuna noodle spaghetti meatballs beef stew lol
ZCaptainR@reddit
best by date, not expiration date.
Open, examine it, smell it. if the package is not bulged, if it's still sealed, if it smells like it should, it should be good. There is no such thing as an expiration date unless it's your drivers license.
I cut mold off cheese all the time and still eat it, the cheese, not the mold. : )
theantnest@reddit
Whether they are any good or not depends way more on how they were stored rather than how old they are.
If they've been stored in a cool dark place, then they're probably good. The only way to tell is to open one.
Shooter306@reddit
I'll say this: I've seen people eat C-Rats from the Korean/Vietnam War and not get sick. I enlisted in 1981 and were given C-Rats, in packages dated 1967/1968. We ate them, didn't get sick, and I am still alive. I have MRE's in my stock and, if the world goes bad, I'll open them up and if it isn't rank, I'm eating them. That is just my two cents.
I've also seen studies where they take 25 yr old medication and test its potency. Most were almost as potent as when they were new. Same holds true for body armor. I've shot body armor which was 25-20 yrs old. Still stopped the rounds.
Chief7064@reddit
I was in boot camp on ‘81 and we got the old C-Rats. Came with a couple cigarettes. We lived.
altgrave@reddit
how'd they taste, though.
HatefulHagrid@reddit
The body armor or the meds?
thepoopiestofbutts@reddit
Yes
Girafferage@reddit
If you want meals that last decades look into freeze dried meals. MREs do not require additional water and that's one of their benefits, but it also increases their weight and reduces their shelf life.
If you are anywhere where you can access any type of water then the rehydrated meals are your best long term option. You boil the water before adding it anyway so you don't much have to worry about bad water.
TheRealBunkerJohn@reddit
Like canned foods, technically years or decades if properly stored. If kept refrigerated? They don't really degrade at all. Higher temperatures? They'll technically be safe as long as the packaging isn't broken, but if they were baked, it might smell like death.
Girafferage@reddit
General rule of thumb - if the food smell is off don't eat it. No use risking it for the literal biscuit 😂
gilbert2gilbert@reddit
I know Steve1989mreinfo is still alive
Long_Driver_4465@reddit
He's a legend. Eating candy and biscuits from the 1950s and smoking the cigarettes.
Girafferage@reddit
I wonder if any of it contributed to life expectancy
Teneighttenfourtwo@reddit
Let's get this out onto the tray
faster_than-you@reddit
Nice hiss
PearlButter@reddit
Decades, assuming fair to ideal storage conditions and a good seal.
However some certain ingredients/bases don’t hold very well I would probably avoid those, like dairy.
DharmaBaller@reddit
I ate a bunch crackers and PB from 30 year old mres few months ago.
My buddy was braver and ate tuna casserole lol...no issues
lilith_-_-@reddit
I’ve eaten some expired by 30 years and it was tasty
itamau87@reddit
I'm eating 2020 expired british MREs, all good, but the powdered milk/muesli breakfast made me fart so bad for 3 days. Onestly i don't know if because is expired or if is a normal effect. Oh, the candies now are something that resemble hot glue.
bhuffmansr@reddit
In 1974 they gave us rations from the Korean War, so maybe - forever🙁
justasque@reddit
The last thing you want in a crisis is to rely on old food that may or may not have gone bad. And if you let them expire, you’re going to be less and less likely to eat them, and they will just sit around taking up space that could be used for other, more useful food.
You’ve got a year to eat your MREs before they hit their expiration date. Figure out how many you need to eat a month to get through them. Make a plan, execute the plan.
If, after eating a few, you like them, and think they will work for you in a crisis, then plan to replace them with new ones as you work your way through them. That way you will always have as many as you have now, but they will be fresh when you eat them.
The whole goal of planning ahead is to put you in the best position to get through a crisis with minimal difficulty or risk. Storing expired food is not a good way to approach that goal, especially when you can simply eat the food before it expires, and replace it with fresh food that will provide the nourishment you need during a crisis.
BigMain2370@reddit
I've eaten ~8 year old without even thinking about it.
MadRhetorik@reddit
Technically years or decades. That being said while I was active duty there were multiple times we opened a main meal only to see mold on the inside. The quality control imo is hit or miss with MRE’s. Shits depressing to think you have 2 weeks worth of MRE’s only to open them and realize 30-50% of your main meals are spoiled with mold. Also the expired cheeses and crackers were hit or miss every so often. For me, I stay away.
garand_guy7@reddit
Had mres in Iraq that were definitely spoiled. Not sure if heat played a part, but they definitely do go bad
ResolutionMaterial81@reddit
Really depends on storage temperature...
Speck72@reddit
https://www.mreinfo.com/mres/mre-shelf-life/
That said some vets at the legion near me recently popped open some C rats and they are still hootin' and hollerin'.
Unicorn187@reddit
It's an inspection date not an expiration date. There is no official expiration sate. A lot of It's life is based on temperature. There should be a sticker on the case. I can't remember the specifics, It's on the sticker though, but I think when the center matches the outside it's been top hot.for too long and it's time to dispose of them. Keep them in a cool place and they should be good.for.five or more years.
BeeThat9351@reddit
https://readymeal.com/questions/ I am going with Ameriquals numbers.
AlphaDisconnect@reddit
There is the "official " rating. Then there is the I am starving and that diseased rating is looking pretty good rating.
Put it in the freezer. Mre shelf life is temperature dependent.
50 years isn't impossible. But give it the sniff test. Smells like... the stuff. Looks like the.... stuff. Tastes like... the stuff. Spit it out.