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Exactly how long do MREs last? and general MRE information

110K views 180 replies 95 participants last post by  BLKbeard44 
#1 ·
Hey everyone!
I started to clean out the hurricane closet and I have four cases of MREs.
Two cases were made in 2005, the other two were 2007.
I don't think there bad, I mean they weren't exposed to long periods of high temp. They just sat in the closet.
I can read on the package when they were produced but not an expiration date.
So does anyone know how long MREs last?

Thanks,
Proshot

Also- please don't say-"open one up and eat it".
Remember, there MREs!
 
#2 ·
#65 ·
No, 6 or 7 years isn't.

I STILL have a few left from 1996 (well, that's when I was issued them), still perfectly good.

My mid-day food on the deer-stand when hunting. I don't do the "couple hours in the morning/couple hours before dark" bit. Pre-sunrise to post-sunset.
 
#5 ·
I normally keep at least two cases on hand plus some extras in the vehicles. I cycle through them by eating them up from time to time; out hunting, after a workout, or any other time when the kitchen isn't handy. The taste isn't outstanding, but I've grown to like them. That and they finally discontinued that Thai Chicken stuff. ;)
 
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#6 · (Edited)
ancient ones

Hell Ive got two cases of MRE's dated from the Early 90's that still smell and taste fine when you open them.. At least they haven't killed me yet (I think) I should think that given proper storage they would last indefinately..... kinda like "C rats".. hell they gave those to me in basic training in 1975, and they were dated in the 1960's....
 
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#8 ·
Hell Ive got two cases of MRE's dated from the Early 90's that still smell and taste fine when you open them.. At least they haven't killed me yet (I think) I should think that given proper storage they would last indefinately..... kinda like "C rats".. hell they gave those to me in basic training in 1975, and they were dated in the 1960's....
Wow, talking about basic training. When I went through Air Force basic training in 1979 I remember that on our Confidance Course day they fed us K rations. Mine was a 1950's dated Spaghetti with Meatball. It was nasty, and if I remenber correctly it had a tobacco ration with it. Three cigarettes maybe?
 
#10 ·
The guy I buy mine from says that they are checked for "swelling" and if not seen to be a bacteria farm, they are still good to go.
 
#12 ·
Interesting story.

Dad was at Fort Ord when the Japanese attacked in December of '41. Two months or three months later he was shipped to Port Morseby.

He said the only food they had was canned food that was dated 1918.

He said it was edible.

War story full of crap? I don't know.
 
#17 ·
The question is not will MRE's go bad, but is it possible for them to go GOOD? I was AD when the Army switched from Cs to MREs, all I can say is the trash was easier to deal with after gagging them down. That said, I keep a case or two in the Western White House for lunches in the deer blind.
 
#18 ·
mre

i have a few bags but do not plan on eating them unless i have to.i ate so many when i was in the army i got to where i hated them. i would buy some spam or something when i was going to the field for a few days.when you get stuck eating them 2 times a day for weeks and no hot meals you just get sick of them
 
#170 ·
That's FUNNY! Made me laugh out loud, thank you! Never done that but used them as hand and body warmers a few times. Done a few other stupid things with them when I was AD but that was awhile ago and probably shouldn't be mentioned. I have eaten so many during deployment that things have to be real bad before I have another. Thanks again for the laugh.
 
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