How long mre good for

The military has researched and developed methods for MREs to be held in the worst temperatures without spoiling or degrading over time, so you can rest assured that your case will last a few years before it needs replacing.

This means you should keep your food away from heat sources like stoves, ovens, microwaves, fireplaces, and sunny windows. The best way to do this is by storing the case inside another container that will protect it from moisture and help maintain cooler temps.

The meals are known for their compact and self-contained design that can last up to five years without refrigeration or heating before they expire. Do not leave them in direct sunlight because it will cause degradation of some ingredients such as fats and proteins, which can lead to spoilage after six months on average. Usually, the longer an MRE is in storage and age, the more its taste will worsen, and nutrition levels will drop. However, some people reported that they could eat MREs that were ten or more sometimes almost twenty years old, and there was no change in taste.

The coolant inside them freezes at a shallow temperature and would cause the plastic containers to crack from expansion while in a freezer. A better option is to store your MREs in an airtight container at a cool temperature before you use them. You can rely on an MRE to have a shelf life of at least three years and as long as ten years, but flavors will diminish the longer they sit. However, before eating any potential spoiled goods, always check with your doctor first and err on the side of caution.

The best thing you can do is check the expiration date for your particular bag and then try one out. You might be pleasantly surprised by how delicious our meals taste even after five years in storage. Finally, many MREs are loaded with sodium. Salt is a natural disinfectant that kills bacteria by sucking the water out of the cells. If you've ever cured a sore throat by gargling with salt water, it's the same principle. The amount of salt in MREs keeps the food safe and edible for a much longer amount of time than regular processed foods.

MREs might be durable, but they're not untouchable in every situation. If they're not stored in the right environment , they could be ruined long before their expiration date, giving the user an unpleasant surprise when they finally open the package. MRE owners should take care to store them correctly to extend their shelf-life as long as possible.

MREs should be stored at an average of 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Some fluctuation is acceptable, but the temperature should never get too hot or too cold. They last longer at cooler temperatures, but freezing your MREs can ruin the meals. Anyone who invests in MREs should make sure they can store the package in a dry area with a stable temperature that doesn't get boiling hot in the summer or freezing cold in the winter.

As durable as they are, MREs don't last forever. Most experts recommend replacing MREs after they've reached the five-year mark. The longer they're kept in storage, the more the taste and nutrition deteriorates, and some products--like cheese and peanut butter--can actually go bad, despite all the sterilization and preservatives. MREs should also be thrown out if they've been exposed to extreme temperatures that could ruin the food.

Many people eat MREs that were ten or fifteen years old. It's not impossible, but eating MREs past the five-year mark can poses a risk. These first MREs had a number of freeze-dried components that accounted for the longer projected shelf life. But civilian and military MREs today no longer use freeze-dried components so their shelf lives follow the newer chart above. Since about , MRE cases have also included something called a TTI time and temperature indicator on the outside of the box to assist inspectors in determining if MREs are still good.

There are two parts to the TTI — an outer dark circle and an inner light circle. As long as the inner circle is still lighter than the outside circle, the MREs are supposed to be good. Click here for the official info on the TTIs.