The time will decrease as the temperature increases. Because the temperature is the deciding factor when it comes to extending the shelf-life of an MRE, it should be your main priority, when choosing a location for MRE storage. When choosing an area in your home to store your MREs, it should be dry, cool and protected. You should also ensure that the temperature is cold, yet not frozen.
It is not advisable to freeze MREs as the packaging could break. This is particularly true when it comes to repeated freezing and the unfreezing of the product. This is due to the expanding and then contracting of contents inside the pouches that result in eventual failure of the pouch. It is advisable to avoid freezing MREs. If the MRE food pouches are damaged or punctured the contents inside the pouch will go bad just like any other food that is exposed to oxygen.
If the seal on the pouch is punctured, food rations are susceptible and exposed to bacteria and oxygen, which immediately compromises the shelf-life, that will result in food spoilage. For this reason, make sure you do not store your MREs near sharp objects such as your knife collection or near sharp tools. To ensure your MREs are protected and to obtain the most extended shelf-life from these products, it is suggested from most of the manufacturers that they are stored in a dry and cool environment that cannot be accessed by pests such as rodents.
We tell our customers to figure on a 5-year shelf life for MRE items at room temperature. But from the chart, you can see that the cooler you can keep your MREs, the better. If stored at room temperature 75 degrees on the high end , the taste testing indicates slightly over seven 7 years. If you can keep them cooler like in a basement or like in our warehouse for example , the shelf life is over ten 10 years.
Remember, the shelf life of MREs is based on taste testing, and not that the product goes bad and would be harmful to you. The noodles were not quite as firm as the fresh MREs, but other than that, just fine ", says TheEpicenter. The manufacturer uses an estimated shelf life figure of "3 to 5 years, plus or minus" for its MRE-type pouched food products.
Actual shelf life may vary from this estimate. A key factor effecting actual shelf life is the temperature of the storage environment. On the other hand, lowering the storage temperature will help extend the products' shelf life. This effect is common to most processed food products. The shelf life figures given in the table for MREs are based on taste test studies conducted by the U. Army's Natick Research Laboratories. As such, the manufacturer cannot verify the test procedures used by the NATICK labs, nor do they adopt these shelf life figures as a guarantee of any sort.
The data is useful, though, as a general indication of the effects of storage temperatures on the shelf life of MRE-type food products. Although the MRE component specifications are dictated by military standards, each manufacturer has a slightly different recipe for like items.
We offer components from all U. Nutrition and ingredients can change from lot to lot even from the same manufacturer. However, MREs are "ready to eat" and can be eaten cold, although a hot entree or side dish may be more appealing! Heating times indicated may vary and may need to be adjusted for best results.
Use caution when heating MREs. MREs do not have an expiration date. The first four numbers are the date of manufacture with the first digit identifying the "year" of production and the last three digits being the "day of the year of production. For example, a code of would read as "the nd day of " or July 1, Each has a different recommended storage condition and shelf life, although the shelf life of storable foods can be extended if stored at lower temperatures.
In our experience, all products in our inventory are of high quality, good tasting, and of good value. Remember, these products are meant to be used in an emergency situation, as emergency food storage, or for short term use such as camping, hiking, and hunting. When we do our taste testing, we imagine if we could eat the item: 1 If there is no access to a supermarket during a natural disaster, power outage, etc; 2 Camping, hiking, hunting, etc.
This will guarantee you the best shelf life. The name of the game is temperature control and maintaining the integrity of the packaging. Remember, you can freeze your MRE but once it is thawed you have to eat it. You can use the time-temperature indicator and the manufacture dates to determine when your MREs are past their prime.
Five years should be your upper limit of time for holding on to MREs although some sources suggest you can get away with ten if needed. If you are holding on to MREs for survival purposes then you should keep rotating them in accordance with their estimated shelf life. For emergency survival purposes it is best to cycle through your MREs every year or so. That way they will stay freshest longest.
If an MRE is exposed to extreme temperatures then it might also be time to get rid of it. As mentioned before, you can freeze an MRE but you should eat it as soon as it is thawed. If you re-freeze it the packaging can become compromised and the whole meal can go bad. High temperatures drastically shorten the shelf life of an MRE too. A power outage can quickly shorten the life of an MRE.
Another indicator that you need to get rid of an MRE is if the bag is bloated, punctured or generally damaged. Even if only one part of the MRE is enlarged you should dispose of the entire thing. If the bag or components are damaged this means the food could be spoiled or infected among other things. MREs are built tough but sometimes this happens.
Under any of these conditions, it is always better to get rid of an MRE than to risk eating what is inside. If you are in an emergency situation then you will need to weigh the risks, go hungry for sure or possibly become deathly ill. The swollen botulism MREs should always be a definite no go though. A meal, ready to eat MRE is an essential part of any soldier or survivalist kit.
Hunters, campers, hikers, and backpackers among others have also all enjoyed the rugged utility of a delicious MRE. These meals can seemingly endure anything from high temperatures to high falls. They do have their limits though and there are other options out there. When stored in a cool dry place you can expect a five-year shelf life.
Anything beyond that becomes questionable. When MREs go bad they can go very bad and eating one of these can easily make you sick. This is why it is very important to understand just how long an MRE will last. Using the time-temperature indicator and manufacture dates it is possible to do. Also, maintaining a certain degree of common sense and attention to detail helps as well.
Keeping all of this in mind makes the use of MREs easy, enjoyable, and safe.
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