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MRE shelf life

inspectorknuckleheadinspectorknucklehead Member Posts: 81 ✭✭
edited August 2002 in General Discussion
I have several cases of MREs that are more than five years old. I have heard that is the max storage life that you can expect out of them.
Does anyone know for sure what the shelf life is of an MRE?
What about the vacumm packed stuff in the MRE? (cookies, crackers, drink mixes, etc.) Is the shelf life of the side dishes longer than that of the main dishes?
They have been stored in a cool dry place and they still smell and taste fine. But, I wouldn't want to get sick because of them.
It kills me to think that I will have to throw out nine cases of them.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.


John Colson

"He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one" Luke 2:36
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Comments

  • Gordian BladeGordian Blade Member Posts: 1,202 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Assuming your storage temperature is about 70 degrees, you are nearing the max shelf life. Here are tables I found:

    According to this one, you have a while to go:
    http://www.beprepared.com/Articles/mre.html

    This one is a little less optimistic, they are probably considering optimum taste (that's surely an oxymoron for MREs!):
    http://www.excaliburenterprises.com/mre/shelf.html

    Little know fact about the term MRE: Each word is a lie!

    Bon app?tit!
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  • airborneairborne Member Posts: 1,728 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Five to six years if stored at 60-70 degrees. Those that have tomato products will be the first to go bad.

    B - BreatheR - RelaxA - AimS - SightS - Squeeze
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    When I was in Honduras our supply system was a shambles. I was issued a 9-year-old case of MRE's from the mess hall that was operated by some private contractor from the U.S. and staffed by Hondurans. I headed out with about a dozen other people on a humanitarian aid mission out in the mountains for a week. The only time I've been sicker was when I had full blown food poisoning. I just got a "new" case of MRE's a few weeks ago for my field exercises that will be happening over the next couple of weeks. It looks like they stopped putting the date of manufacture and the expiration date on the boxes. This case says it needs to be "INSP/TEST" (which I assume means "inspected/tested") by June of 2004. I now have a new test of my own. If there is a chocolate bar or M&M's inside that have turned into chocolate powder, I won't eat it.
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  • robsgunsrobsguns Member Posts: 4,581 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Dont play with the shelf life on the MREs. If they are to be used past the initial date on the box they are reinspected, and they can then be restamped with a new date, but since you dont have the luxury of having yours reinspected, I'd say you need to count yourself lucky for knowing there is an inspection date and just get rid of them. The M&M test idsman uses is a pretty good indication too, the choclate bar also. THAT DOESNT MEAN CHECK THE CHOCOLATE AND EAT THEM IF THE CHOCOLATE LOOKS OK!!!!! The dehydrated fruit, crackers, and chocolate are about the only things that dont spoil enough to make ME sick.

    SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
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  • Matt45Matt45 Member Posts: 3,185
    edited November -1
    My advice would be to find someone who will buy them from you and use them right away- For instance a Boy Scout Troop going out for an encampment, or mebbe a militia group doing the same- Sell 'em at a cheap rate, say $30.00 a case, recoup some $$ and purchase several new cases.

    Reserving my Right to Arm Bears!!!!
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  • 4GodandCountry4GodandCountry Member Posts: 3,968
    edited November -1
    It really depends on which MRE you have. The dehydrated stuff will last forever as will the peanut butter and jelly. The chicken alla king and other meals like that are the ones that spoil. Stick with the dehydrated stuff youll be ok...

    When Clinton left office they gave him a 21 gun salute. Its a damn shame they all missed....
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  • inspectorknuckleheadinspectorknucklehead Member Posts: 81 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the advise folks.
    I guess I've got a little house cleaning to do that should have been done long ago.
    I broke down all the MREs last night to see what all I had. Looks like I've got a lot of landfill bait.
    Anybody need any John Wayne toilet papaer or plastic spoons?

    John Colson

    "He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one" Luke 2:36
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  • 4GodandCountry4GodandCountry Member Posts: 3,968
    edited November -1
    Niet to the "TP" an z spoons. But if you have any dehydrated fruit coctail Ill take it. I love that stuff, tastes like cotton candy only better...lol...

    When Clinton left office they gave him a 21 gun salute. Its a damn shame they all missed....
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  • BufflerBuffler Member Posts: 821 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    IF YOU HAVE THE CHERRY NUT CAKES,I'd like them, the deer are
    CRAZY for them, no need to toss in the Dump,(late 80's) SOoo
    Waste Not, Want Not, Loved them when they were FRESH!! OH!!!
    All DEPENDS ON stored TEMP!!! Cannot stress ENOUGH!! Careful!!
    BE SAFE!! Buffler
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  • UNIVERSITY50UNIVERSITY50 Member Posts: 1,705 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    how about c rations??I HAVE 3 SEALED CASES OF C RATIONS FROM 1969! they are worth more now as collector items, sold a case to a collecter of v/n stuff for $50.00. that only pays for my labor from all the times i moved those dang thing!lol
    my friends father has a fruit cake sent to him in china by his mom in 1944, he never open the can! wants it put in his coffin with him.

    Edited by - UNIVERSITY50 on 08/13/2002 19:45:37
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  • E.WilliamsE.Williams Member Posts: 1,101 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I dont care what it says I cant trust them for 5 years unless I am absoulutly starving to death.I buy a new case every 2 hurricane seasons and go ahead and eat the old ones.So 2 years is as long as mine make it.

    Eric S. Williams
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  • inspectorknuckleheadinspectorknucklehead Member Posts: 81 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    4GodandCountry...Sorry, I don't have any fruit cocktail.

    Buffler...I'll defend my cherry nut cakes with my life. Chocolate cookies too. I just chucked all the main dishes. The desert dishes I'll probably snack on. I'll give the crackers to my dog for a chew toy, (poor dog) and I'll use the applesauce and cheese spread to run the moles out of my yard.

    University50...I had some C rats many years ago. I used to take them on hunting trips. Threw the whole lot of them away when I found an egg shaped can. I thought they were going to explode! Nasty stuff.



    John Colson

    "He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one" Luke 2:36
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