What is The Average MRE Shelf Life?

APRIL 2018

XMRE

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE MRE SHELF LIFE?

| ISSUE

NO. 4

What is The Average MRE Shelf Life?

MREs, or Meals Ready to Eat, are shelf-stable meals that are designed to last for a long time and that do not require freezing or refrigeration. With that said, MREs are still supposed to be kept fairly cool, and if they are kept at a warmer temperature, then they will go bad quite quickly.

The older MREs from decades ago were mostly dry and were intended to last for 10 years or more.

BY SAUL

MISHKIN

Modern MREs have changed somewhat, and have a shorter lifespan, although they will still keep for a long time. On average, the shelf life of an MRE

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is about five years, assuming it is stored at a

outer one, then this is a sign that the

temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit, or less.

MRE is still safe to eat. If the inner circle

If the MREs are kept in warmer conditions,

is darker than the outer one, then you

then they may spoil quite quickly.

should discard the MRE immediately. If they are about the same shade, then this

Modern MREs have a patch on them that is

is a warning that the pack could be

heat sensitive, and that will give you an idea

spoiled. You can apply common sense

of whether the contents of the packet are

here - if the pack is swollen, then this

likely to be still good or not. The patch has

means it is spoiled. If it is damaged, then

two circles on it - the outer part should be

throw it out immediately. If it appears in

dark, and the inner part should be light. If the

good condition, then do a sniff-test

inner area is lighter in color than the

before eating.

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MREs do not have "best before" dates on

you will discard the pack within that time

them. Rather, they have the date that they

period - so no-one is going to have an

were manufactured. The date is written in

MRE that was made in 2006.

a four-digit, modified version of the Julian Date code rather than in traditional

If you source MREs from someone else,

date format. For example, 6172 would

and you are worried that they may have

indicate that the pack was made on June

gone off, then you should examine the

20th, 2016, since that's the 172nd day of

packet, and then apply common sense.

the year. The 6 indicates 16 because

There are lots of videos online of people

MREs are not officially supposed to be

eating MREs that are long, long past any

kept for more than 10 years, and the

expected shelf life, and since they are

manufacturers of the MRE assume that

designed to be quite shelf-stable for

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the most part, people can and do get away with this. However, you should not make a habit of it unless you are in a desperate survival situation. If you are simply prepping or buying MREs as convenient camping supplies, then rotate your stock so that MREs that are more than a few years old get used or discarded.

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