Is Meal-Ready-to-Eat (MRE) a Good Option for Long-Term Food Storage?

What happens to Meal-Ready-to-Eat (MRE) as it ages in storage? How long are they really safe to eat? In today's video, we evaluate MREs stored in a cool, dry basement for 19 years. The results are a bit more surprising than I thought. The bottom line is to keep your food rotated only store what you eat and then eat what you store.
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[@TheProvidentPrepper]

We evaluated MREs stored in a cool, dry basement for 19 years. The results were surprising. The bottom line is to keep your food rotated only store what you eat and then eat what you store. **Department of Defense Meal, Ready-to-Eat Study apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA304809.pdf **Harvest Right freeze dryer or need supplies, use the link affiliates.harvestright.com/901.html. **The Cube Freeze Dryer from Prep4Life p4lfood.com/?ref=provident_prepper **PackFreshUSA Mylar Bags packfreshusa.com/?rfsn=7503114.ecc85c Use promo code PROVIDENT to receive 10% off your order. **Long-term food storage sold in # 10 cans from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' Home Storage Centers providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/food-storage/home-storage-center-locations-map?lang=eng **Visit TheProvidentPrepper.org to learn more about how to store food for emergencies. Dry Bean Food Storage Myth - Actual Shelf-Life Revealed theprovidentprepper.org/dry-bean-food-storage-myth-actual-shelf-life-revealed/ Food Storage: The Actual Shelf-Life of White Flour theprovidentprepper.org/food-storage-the-actual-shelf-life-of-white-flour/ Food Storage: What is the Actual Shelf-Life of Granulated or White Sugar theprovidentprepper.org/food-storage-what-is-the-actual-shelf-life-of-granulated-or-white-sugar/ The Actual Shelf-Life of Chocolate theprovidentprepper.org/the-actual-shelf-life-of-chocolate/ Shelf-Life of Vitamin Supplements in a Survival Food Supply theprovidentprepper.org/shelf-life-of-vitamin-supplements-in-a-survival-food-supply/ Prepper Pantry: 25 Shelf-Stable Egg Substitutes for Baking theprovidentprepper.org/prepper-pantry-25-shelf-stable-egg-substitutes-for-baking/ Long-Term Food Storage: Creative Solutions to Build a Critical Asset theprovidentprepper.org/long-term-food-storage-creative-solutions-to-build-a-critical-asset/ Packaging Dry Foods in Glass Jars for Long-Term Food Storage theprovidentprepper.org/packaging-dry-foods-in-glass-jars-for-long-term-food-storage/ Packaging Dry Foods in Plastic Bottles for Long-Term Food Storage theprovidentprepper.org/packaging-dry-foods-in-plastic-bottles-for-long-term-food-storage/ How to Package Dry Foods in Mylar Bags for Long-Term Storage theprovidentprepper.org/how-to-package-dry-foods-in-mylar-bags-for-long-term-storage/ 8 Food Storage Enemies and How to Slay Them theprovidentprepper.org/8-food-storage-enemies-and-how-to-slay-them/ Thanks for being part of the solution!

[@gardnertimothyp]

Love your channel and being a retired military servicemenber you truly need to compair them to a fresh ones. This is because they all smell off what somone that hasn't eaten them before you're going to think they're bad.

[@juliabrown5948]

Good to know!

[@kendexter]

I love MRE so much that they never get old, had a lot of US army mre cans in the 80`s as they dumped it when returning to USA after the exercise they had here ,, tons of new mre was dumped, throwed at the local dump here , we was kids so we went scavenging them, .... Got my hands of a few packs from the "Cold response" batch 2017 . i should save them but i ate them all

[@danieldinnell4944]

some of us in the army actually like mre's, even after 5 years, and rotation is still a good idea. They are good for simplicity purposes!

[@KaylynnStrain]

one secret to the older flameless ration heaters is ti add salt to it, the salt usually helps themkick off

[@trish237]

I haven't put MRE's in my storage, too many memories of them from uncles who came back from Vietnam. They continued to eat them for many years after coming back, why... I'll never know. I'd rather have the long-term essentials, rice, beans, oatmeal, pasta, etc., packaged to last 20 to 30 years. Once i got used to cooking from scratch, there's no going back to highly processed foods.

[@ladyjusticesusan]

I’ve never tried MREs but I do have some Mountain House meals which I’ve tried and liked. In reality they’re too high in carbs now for this diabetic, but they’re still within the expiration date and I think would make a good trade for something else I might need if the time comes. This is a good lesson to check the expiration on all our storage. I now know what I’m doing this morning. Thank you. You are appreciated.

[@paw9568]

I got a few cases worth of Mres and first strike rations. I save them for the "visitors", if there's a survival situation and someone comes knocking for food, I'll toss an mre or fsr. Plus good for barter and trade in SHTF. I've eaten meals that were 20 years old before and were good. But I got better options for myself and family, keep the grunt food for trades and guests. Also like to add, even if they go bad. In a survival situation, can use it to attract some animals for hunting or make some sort of fuel from food waste I think it's methane gases, not sure.

[@josephdone2713]

Having spent 26 years in the Army, I have plenty of MRE stories. Like eating them for a whole week on maneuvers in the field. It took several days before I could; you know what. I have some from 2012 - 2014 that have spent time in the garage through hot and cold temperatures. Bottom line is that you need to eat the entrees heated. They look unappetizing straight out of the pouch, but are better once warmed up. They won't kill you. Over time the sides loose normal food looking consistency; like the jelly and snack bread. you showed. Totally agree that if you would not normally eat these ultra high-starch meals, it is best to limit them in your preps.

[@jjsolly5039]

Hi, the old saying goes, " when in doubt, throw it out!" It's not worth our health. Thank you for this demo!🥰🙏✝️

[@762M80]

If you pour about half of the salt packet from the accessory pack into the heater before you pour the water in, it will resurrect an old heater and make new ones work better.

[@jackieroberts6316]

USMC boot camp in 1977. C-rations. In my humble opinion C-rations were so much better. Plus, they had chiclets!

[@philw7174]

I also went through my MRE's. Same result, had to throw out everything over 11 years old. Of course they were all over 19 years old. Wished I had paid better attention to their expiration and used them. Pleased that I now make my own favorite meals as MRE's. Thank you Jonathan and Kylene for your videos. Happy trails!

[@BusDriverShirley]

Would you share some of the options you make?

[@AnnBearForFreedom]

Can't afford 'em, so thats the end of the conversation about them. But it is good to know they do have limits.

[@hrdknox2000]

I would recommend getting the MCWs, or, Meal, Cold Weather, MREs instead. The main is freeze dried (Mountain House) and most of the other contents are more resistant to spoilage!

[@krisqueen5939]

Thanks for that info

[@MTPZorro]

My MREs are just as old as yours and are true military surplus. A few thoughts: the human nose is a very poor indicator of palatability and is very subjective. The Military uses a sterilization technique that insures no bacterial or fungal contamination (including viruses. It is true that fatty acids can break down with time and can affect taste with some MREs but doesn’t mean they are inedible. I bet that if you tasted some off the few entrees that you discarded, you could of tolerated the taste. Please be aware that your ( and my) nose is a very poor indicator of bacterial contamination- so is your tongue! Botulism poisoning a case in point. BTW, I can eat my MREs but they were always stored below 60 degrees F which helps preserve taste. I heartily agree with you both that my freeze dried Mountain House foods taste better and require little special storage. Good video!

[@Pamela-B]

We’ve never stocked MRE’s, but we do store freeze dried foods like from Mountain House. We occasionally eat them and find it to be rather delicious. I keep an eye on the dates and keep them stored indoors in our home. I doubt we’ll ever store MRE’s because they don’t seem very appealing. One big advantage of the MRE’s would be no water required and in certain circumstances it could be highly desirable. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@jatpack3]

You will eat anything if you are hungry enough

[@steveb855]

If its in a ziplock bag its not an MRE.

[@Hutchcr]

We use these with a youth group I volunteer with. IMO, they all have a chemical smell to them. If you really want a true test, perhaps open a new one next to an old one and compare the two. You might be surprised at the results.

[@Hutchcr]

BTW, I don’t have them in my food storage, nor do I want them. I’m not really fond of the taste and there are a LOT of chemicals in them.

[@marygallagher3428]

Not fond of MREs myself. Enjoyed the video!

[@Utah_Mike]

I do not store MRE’s. I fill there are better options for me. But if there were no other options I would eat without hesitation.

[@jordanmkurtz]

You're going to need to compare those to a fresh one and you'll verify there's no difference. MREs or MREs for a reason... Me personally I love the taste of them but I would also eat cardboard if you put spaghetti sauce & Parmesan on it

[@kathyschofield127]

I would never store MRE's but do store some freeze dried meats/meals for the protein content and they are great for bug out bags as light weight.

[@scrapykat3028]

Oh yummm! I’d hope long before 25 years… I e been able to have a sustainable food source/diet!

[@user-hf8ul7wp1c]

You guys are so funny!!❤

[@tooshieg2059]

If you have to eat MREs then things have gone bad in a big way. You deserve; you need good, quality food that is nutritional and provides comfort and a bit of joy when all around you is bad. For MREs, I prefer the marine survival raft rations. Made with coconut oil, long shelf life, tasty and 3000 calories in a brick.

[@jenniferbriski567]

Thank you, most of these claim to be good for 20 - 25 years in their advertising. Thankfully most also contain items I'm allergic too, so mine are mostly individual foods (and some jars of mixed vegetables) I've dehydrated and stored so I can make multiple different types of meals with the ingredients.

[@debb9008]

I just have a few.... maybe a dozen... maybe not that many... I will have to check them now... I am going to be bummed if the heaters don't work... I bought them separately from a wholesale outlet of some sort... but they are not cheap... looks like another project for this weekend besides the stuff I was going to can.... thanks for the video. stay safe... Deb from South Dakota

[@pamelajohnson6220]

Have only entrees of these stored and have wondered about them as they are about the same age yours are. I opened 4 different ones and they all smelled OK but don't look too appetizing. Since I have other options I don't think I will keep them. I tested the heaters and they did heat up OK.

[@steve8189]

Some unsolicited feedback? For a handful of years I and 4 others made beer, from 125 to 400 gallons per year. We got very good at it an even won a state award for one of them, which was not even our best. Early on, when testing recipes, we would do taste tests. One of the thing we learned very quickly was not to ever, ever set a tone within the room by offering an opinion until the testing was complete. Making a comment, at all, set a basis point for all the others, which resulted in a difference of opinion instead of a critique, became a comparison. Never a good thing. What I saw this video was nothing but opinions and affirmations of that initial opinion. Too bad, because in viewing the entrees that ended up being piled on at least one plate, already supposed that everything was bad. Well, was it? In a true SHTF situation, starving people wouldn't pass on what I saw on the plate. Been watching you for at least 5 years now. I have learned much, and most of the videos here teach me something (old flour with "Mom" was one of my favorites), but I really didn't learn anything here. One of the reasons I like steve 1989 mre is that he does his presentations alone, which eliminates the opinion comparison.

[@srice6231]

I have never bought an MRE but although I try to use what I buy when I have had to throw something away, I figure I originally bought it for insurance and also it is an education... so I haven't wasted anything because I have gained knowledge.

[@KaylynnStrain]

I'm a ration reviewer and I have seen rations that wre not well stored that were newer then older ones that were well stored. because I review the I don't sore many for longer term

[@krisqueen5939]

🌷Could regular mres or cold weather meds be stored where they freeze in the winter, summer is about 65-70 for 3 months? Thanks northern Alaska.😊

[@KaylynnStrain]

@@krisqueen5939 the MCWs (meal cold weather) feature freeze dried entrees which can be stored in very cold conditions. the regular MREs have wet packed foods that can freeze. hotweather storage lessens the shelf life of any food even those in #10 cans. best to store allfood in cooler and drier conditions in as dark a place as you can. very hard in my small apartment but I still dowhat I can to be prepared

[@whywedrink]

You said you had better options for meals ready to eat. What are they?

[@user-ys6pl4wo3c]

I plan to make my own from leftover meals and not have the same leftovers in the fridge for 3 or 4 days. If I don't like it the day I cooked it, throw it out.

[@ladyjusticesusan]

I am laughing not at you but with you. I made a soup once that I mistakenly put way too much hot pepper into. I didn’t like it so I froze it thinking I would make something from it that was less hot. 6 months later they were still in the back of the freezer so they got thrown out as clearly I was not interested in trying to save them. I felt it was a waste of good ingredients but it had to be done.

[@mattmackewich9699]

lmao... can't judge by smell unless you've eaten them before and have a baseline...

[@jburbinski7057]

Im wondering if those MRE's you had were made for the civilian market and not the military - While I havent eaten such an old MRE but Steve 1989 as you know has - and the majority of his old MRE's are fine - the cracker and peanut butter if memory serves me right has been fine in the majority -

[@belowme4927]

save them for people looking for food. they will never come back

[@edstevens4439]

The peanut butter probably smelled like that when it was put in the tube.

[@robotica6089]

The MREs I've tried were terrible tasting even when they were fresh!

[@mpat23]

😮😂🤭

[@LadyTSurvival]

In 1983 ish, we were riding up in the mountains, we came across the cache of old C rations. From the 70s. And they were still good. They were in tin cans in stored under a rock. Everybody tried it all the only thing I was brave enough to try was the chocolate with toffee. But it was actually still good. My point being is these new MREs aren't worth storing

[@verdexj160]

Myth busted. MREs are not good for long term storage. You can't eat it if it tastes nasty. I tossed several years ago and have only replaced them with a few items I would use.

[@sula1529]

I feel like you are preparing for nothing and most of this stuff will go out of date which is a waste of money IMO

[@PirateAndBum]

At the end there was mention of freeze-dried over the MREs. For me they are not in the same category. Each has their own purpose. Your stores should complement each other, not one or the other. I can eat MREs out of the pouch. With freeze-dried or dehydrated, you have to dip into your water storage to reconstitute. I’m a believer in multiple storage options.