What is shelf life of Mountain House Packages?
Posted by TheDude50484@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 24 comments
Hey everyone, I have a bunch of older mountain house food pouches bought in 2010, and they have a best by date of February 2017. I have eaten some and can verify that they are still good, but what is the maximum shelf life I can expect from these? I heard mountain house is now guaranteeing their #10 cans for 30 years, but does that apply to the pouches as well?
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Always better with cans than pouches, outside of specific usage needs (rucksack, etc.) Have had some failures in the pouches (the Omelet mix) but never in the #10 cans.
Here is a recent failure of a truly 30 year old LTS food.
Alpineaire #10 can from 1995 Chicken Primavera. Now this was the original Alpineaire and that company was purchased twice since I believe the last time around 2008'ish by Katadyn. It is NOT the same company as what put this out in the 90's. But in the mid 90's this brand was the #1 competitor to Mt. House. We rotated a can of Shrimp Alfredo camping in the mountains this spring and it was fine. This product however had a TOMATO base and tomato based products don't always do well over time.
What else do you notice??
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Data point for the "OMG my #10 can has a smidge of rust on it" crowd-
This can had some decent rust from moisture in the air in deep storage. When the can opener pierced it the normal "whoosh" was heard and the contents, although stale after 30 years, were totally fine.
mekquarrie@reddit
I'd genuinely be interested in some more detail on this. The dry material looks like it's "settled" a lot(!), but was there mold or anything medically risky in there..?
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Actually that company IN THE 90'S (not now) marketed half filled cans. We were a rep for them briefly until I figured this out and "ate" (most literally) the inventory versus selling it. The rep at that company told me they did that so quote "you can use the can as a cooking device"- I laughed and said "ahh no, the cans are half filled." Then they tried to sell me "maxi fill" cans. I laughed cause the half filled cans were expensive AF back then as it was.
As far as longevity, no mold but the taste was heavily off. Could have been eaten with a boatload of spices added in, but I just recycled via the chickens into fresh eggs.
Squeeze_Toy2004@reddit
You wouldn't happen to own a company that makes some wizard eyes, would you?
JRHLowdown3@reddit
The same :)
Squeeze_Toy2004@reddit
I thought I recognized that writing style, LOL. Gotta fo!
JRHLowdown3@reddit
The writing style is 1900's early kindergarten ;) LOL
mekquarrie@reddit
Cheers... ✌️
456name789@reddit
I had pears, peaches, and peas from, I think, the early 80’s? Peas were normal. Pears & peaches were kind of chewy, but delicious imo. Didn’t get sick. Also had a tuna salad one that appeared normal, but wasn’t about to test.
ryanmercer@reddit
With one tiny pin prick and they can be good for a few days to weeks.
urbanlumberjack1@reddit
Sigh… no one understands expiration dates. Today’s mountain house packets have a 30 year taste guarantee. That means they stand behind the quality for 30 years. It does not mean they “expire” in 30 years. In theory should be safe to eat much much longer than that.
TrainXing@reddit
The "Best By" is not an expiration date and no one seems to ever get that.
flortny@reddit
My mom started a small applesauce company, now defunct but when our states ag department was going over labeling, expiration dates etc, state ag department literally said they have no concrete idea how long properly canned food lasts, they put a year expiration, but they still taste fine after almost ten.
TrainXing@reddit
Yep. If it is in an actual can, it is good as far as safety almost forever, maybe not taste wise, but you won't get sick as long as the can is sealed. Jars show their age eventually and you will know it when that seal has been breached. But still, jars are good for a few years as well.
ISeeReydar3@reddit
Current Gen is 25 years.
I dont know how they arrived at that number but as long as everything stays dry, dark, and temperature stable, no plastic decomposition amd no leaks, I think it could be viable for even longer than that.
DeafHeretic@reddit
I am sure that they arrive at the number by keeping a certain quantity of pouches/cans out of a give lot, and testing them after a certain number of years.
DeafHeretic@reddit
I had a meal pouch I bought in \~1987-'88 or so. The meal came in the much thinner foil pouch than what they have now.
I opened and ate the meal (Beef Stroganoff) in 2011. It was fine. Back then, I think MH said it was good for something like 10-15 years?
As long as the pouch is airtight, I think the meal will probably last longer than MH's projected date.
SheistyPenguin@reddit
This is the official announcement from Mountain House / Oregon Freeze Dry, confirming that all of their pouches and cans are good for at least 30 years, including your 2010 pouches.
They will likely last longer than that, at the loss of some taste/quality (though honestly, freeze dry is only going to taste so good).
TheDude50484@reddit (OP)
Thank you!
gilbert2gilbert@reddit
They are indefinite, really. Every five years they pull out one they had in storage and taste it. And then they raise the number on the package another 5 years.
BobFromCincinnati@reddit
depends on how hungry you are
Sleddoggamer@reddit
It'll depend on how good the storage conditions are. I wouldn't assume its the same life as the cans, but i also wouldn't assume there bad unless the bag rips/rots, and i probably wouldn't immediately assume there bad unless you can visibly see signs of rehydration even you go a bit beyond the plastics life because of the foil
Icy-Medicine-495@reddit
25 years on the pouches. They back dated the expiration date on all their older pouches when they use to only say 7 years