Old mre's

[Muleskinner]

I was in the Navy in the early 1980s. We had canned C rations onboard ship dated from WW2. We ate them just to see if they were still good. No one got sick.

I have MRE from the 80s..im 100% sure they are fine. Those don't look like USGI though.

 

[TI-tick]

LOL.
As a kid my family was camping at Bellows Field in HI, 1976 or so. Me and some other kids prowled around through the old field and found all kinds of stuff, delinked M60 rounds, expended smoke grenades, torn up hats, and C rats. The cheese and crackers were ok but the free smokes were better; IIRC Pal Mall's.

 

[E.Shell]

Meals Rejected by Ethiopians

Never been a favorite. When hungry, I’ve eaten my share.

1 a day is my limit. (Or was). That has to have been about forty years ago.

I got out 45 years ago and rations were still in cans. If you opened the pound cake in a sealed room, it would remove any humidity.

 

[303_enfield]

No reason to bring them back to the USA in May. Save the weight for something good.

You guys want to eat one MRE's? I can hook you up. Not my fault if you die. Dibs on your guns an ammo.

 

[BFMIN]

consider, not just are they edible, but how nutritious are they after extended storage?

 

[Ponder_MD]

Those are government issue. My unit issued MREs with that packaging.

 

[brianns]

I thought MREs were to stay shelf stable for 25 yrs.

 

[Bullfrog]

I thought MREs were to stay shelf stable for 25 yrs.

It varies greatly depending upon the temperature it was stored at, but I'e never heard the number 25 years quoted.

'Not going to kill you' at 25, but no longer taste the way they should.

If official military issue, there should be an orange dot on the box. If the inner and outer part of the dot match, they are still considered 'fresh'. If the inner part is darker they are not. Just my opinion, but they are probably still edible well after the dot changes color.

 

[Bullfrog]

It varies greatly depending upon the temperature it was stored at, but I'e never heard the number 25 years quoted.

Found this, not sure it's 'official':

 

[Bullfrog]

If official military issue, there should be an orange dot on the box. If the inner and outer part of the dot match, they are still considered 'fresh'. If the inner part is darker they are not. Just my opinion, but they are probably still edible well after the dot changes color.

Top= location
Lower left = fresh
Lower right = 'expired'

 

[OneGunTex]

Uncle Sam fed me expired MREs. They're just MREs. Calories not haute cuisine. Mine stay in a cupboard and if I ever need to pull them out, I won't be that worried about flavor

 

[BurkeM]

Hi, does anyone know how long MREs are good for? I got a box of old MREs from a building we decommissioned last year, but there are no expiration dates on the plastic bags containing each meal. Is anyone familiar with the company Long Life Food Depot? Does anyone want it? I can bring it back with me when I return to the US in May, and you can have the whole box. I have no idea how old the MREs are, so you take your chances.

View attachment 455291

Until a rodent finds it and eats a hole in them.

 

[Inigoes]

If the spiced ham tastes like cream corn, dont go any further!

 

[Bountied]

I bought two cases of MREs (all ~12 months old) during the pandemic in 2020, and eat them every once in a while. I do have to admit that nowadays, it's hard for me to eat them without my stomach getting mad at me, but I'm not sure if that's the age of the MREs, or the fact that my digestive system isn't as efficient now that I'm pushing 40.

I can't eat a lot of Trader Joe's frozen meals because the preservatives mess me up. Could be the same thing with the MREs? Apparently I have a lot of food sensitivity. I took a food allergy test and I was surprised by the results.

 

[Doctor_M]

Old MREs never die... they just taste that way.

 

[MattFinals718]

I can't eat a lot of Trader Joe's frozen meals because the preservatives mess me up. Could be the same thing with the MREs? Apparently I have a lot of food sensitivity. I took a food allergy test and I was surprised by the results.

For now, I can still eat TJ's stuff - or at least, the stuff I like, such as their gyoza from the frozen food section. Not sure what preservatives TJ's uses vs. MREs, but for now, the former seems to sit OK with me, the latter does not.

I guess that means I'd be screwed if there was ever a draft and I had to go to war. Think they'll still take me as an 11B?

 

[wabbit]

If you are willing to bring themback, I will give them a shot.

I'll bring the box back with me as checked luggage. You can have them, and goodluck.

Those are government issue. My unit issued MREs with that packaging.

Everyone else is saying those aren't military MRE's, but if your unit issues them, they might still be OK. I found them in a plain brown box, with no markings so I can't tell if there was ever an orange dot to indicate edibility. Anyway, KJackson is going to be the guinea pig for the group. I think they are more than 5 years old since we cleaned out the building over a year ago and they left this box behind so they really didn't want it any more.

 

[RFBfromDE]

I got out 45 years ago and rations were still in cans. If you opened the pound cake in a sealed room, it would remove any humidity.

I always tried to trade for more canned pound cake!

 

[N3uka]

some of us should do a meet up and sit around and try to eat them.

Next Pub Dog event? I have a few I can bring if you set a get together.

 

[babalou]

Next Pub Dog event? I have a few I can bring if you set a get together.

pub dog is good. lol