How long do MRE products last – what is their Shelf Life?
We guarantee our MRE products to last 5 years from the date of sale, if products stored in a room temperature environment (70 deg. F), no matter what the production date. Of course, the production date is visible on all our entrees and on most side dishes, desserts, and other components. The production date is a four digit number (date code) on each item, example “5156.” In this example the 5 represents the year 2005 (a “4” would represent 2004, etc.), the 156 represents the 156th day of the year. See the top of the individual box or look on pouch for the Date Code. At this time nearly all of our MRE products were manufactured between 2008 and 2009 and have always been kept in a climate-controlled warehouse to ensure freshness. The official MRE Shelf Life Chart, created by the Army’s Natick Research Lab, gives the whole picture and explains why we are prepared to guarantee our products for 5 years from date of sale. It is clear that the wholesomeness of the products extends well beyond
