MRE

Keeping MRE Food for an Emergency

Originally designed for by the United States government, MRE compact pouches contain delicious ready to eat foods. MRE food pouches have been used since the 1970's with particularly relevance for soldiers, marines, air force and science personnel working as the United States Space Program and Military and Armed Services. In more recent times, the popularity and convenience of MRE food pouches and grown exponentially and now not only the United States but also many foreign governments use MRE food pouches.

In the United States Space Program and Military and Armed Services one of the key priorities has been the development and testing of rations that can have an extended shelf life. All MRE food pouches are packaged in triple-layer plastic and/or aluminum depending on what is being stored within the MRE food pouch itself. These triple-layer plastic and/or aluminum storage facilities were opted for as a preference over other types of storage because they keep the food for an extended period and they do not require any kind of apparatus to open the pouch itself (for example a can would require a can opener).

The food that is placed in MRE food pouches is precooked and sealed at a high temperature. This high temperature vacuum process is undertaken so that bacteria are neutralized. This helps to ensure that the food stored in the MRE food pouch is shelf stable even when stored at room temperature. On average if an MRE food pouch is kept at 120° it can be stored for 1 month. This extends right up to 130 months if the MRE food pouch is stored at 60°.

These days more and more people are using MRE food pouches for their own private purposes. Camping enthusiasts will often opt for MRE food pouches if they are heading outdoors for lengthy periods, the same goes for people who are traveling across country on a budget.

MRE food pouches are completely safe for anyone to use because they are always tested according to standards than are often much stricter than the standards used for commercial food. Tests include having the food pouches within obstacle course traversal in field clothing pockets; storage outdoors anywhere in the world; shipping under extremely rough circumstances (such as by truck over rocky terrain); 100% survival of parachute drops; 75% survival from free failure drops; and severe repetitive vibration. Normal commercial food would not withstand and even half of these conditions and still be either edible or safe to consume.