Commercial Food Preps With A Long Shelf Life

[SoCal92057]

Over the years I have stockpiled food from a canning company called Mountain House. The MH food within their #10 cans is advertised as having a 25 year shelf life. I rotate and consume my survival food stocks and I am unlikely to reach the maximum shelf life. I do not stockpile "ordinary" canned food obtained at the market as it has a relatively short shelf life. I also note that seeds for planting crops is not a short term solution to a food shortage. Gardens requires time and if visible may make your property the subject of attention by those less prepared.

[Plymtom]

You can get MH here but sadly like a lot of things from across the pond it's over priced, by that I mean it is all too easy to pay more pounds than you would dollars, and it can't all be to do with shipping, I do not know if the same thing happens if you guys want to buy something from the UK, but it does suck and probably hurts trade too.

[Devonian]

Regardless of the 'best before' dates on ordinary tins, they last and are safe to eat for many years past their best before dates.

Bear in mind that MH state: Correctly stored, these tins last for up to 25 years. I suspect that ordinary tins correctly stored would also last for that long. As would other dry food such as potato flakes and powdered soups etc which is often a part of the MH tins.

With ordinary tins, providing they are not damaged, the only effect on long term storage may be a small deterioration in taste and/or separating out of the fats etc, but that can be easily remixed and given the taste of the MH tins, a deterioration in the taste of ordinary tins wouldn't be an issue!

With regards to gardening you could look at growing perennial vegetables (instead of annuals), ie: plant once and then harvest from the same plants year after year after year.....

[SoCal92057]

Mountain House also uses oxygen purging/depletion or absorption. All their food in #10 cans is dehydrated. The integrity of the can is vital. Here in the U.S. we have "Best By," Use By" and "Sell By" dates on all boxed, bottled or canned food. Each has a slightly different meaning to the consumer and retail store. I doubt that ordinary canned food would store well too far beyond the date indicated on the can, or the manufacturer would promote it to their benefit.

Outside gardens, perennial or not, represent a good long term solution but can only be considered a supplement to other sources of food. This is especially true where the winters are cold and the growing season short. Although a renewable source of food, crops are susceptible to animal, insect, drought and other weather damage. Gardens are also an invitation to those less prepared to come calling. It is best to avoid a total reliance on any one source of nourishment. Besides farmland, I also own forest land that will give up food on the hoof or wing.

[Devonian]

I wouldn't waste my money on MH products.

All canned food uses oxygen purging/depletion that is not unique to MH.

As for the shelf life of tinned/canned foods, have a read here:

http://modernsurvivalblog.com/survival- ... e-studies/

http://www.prepper-resources.com/canned ... date-myth/

With regards to the US "Best By," Use By" dates these are for guidance only.

The date, which is provided voluntarily by the manufacturer, tells you how long the product is likely to remain at its absolute best quality when unopened. But, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service points out, it is not a safety date.

After the "use by" or “best” date has passed, you may start to notice gradual changes in the unopened product’s texture, color, or flavor. But as long as you’ve been storing the unopened item properly, you can generally consume it beyond this date.

Your best bet for gauging whether an unopened shelf-stable product with this type of date is still of satisfactory quality is to simply smell and examine it first. Always discard foods that have developed an off odor, flavor or appearance. You can also consult the Keep It or Toss It database for optimal food storage times, for both unopened and opened items.

Source: http://www.stilltasty.com/articles/view/5

But yes you are correct about not relying on a single food source.

Also it is actually to the benefit of the manufacturer to have shorter use by dates, because then sheeple will simply throw the tins out and buy new ones!!

[jansman]

We rely heavily on tinned foodstuffs here at Chez Jansman. We have a good stock, and use it. I also have an extensive garden-more like a small market garden to be honest! it is true, you cannot rely on one food source, but the idea that your garden will make you a target in a crisis is no reason not to cultivate one. A garden is cyclical, and it has to be planned. For my tribe the garden is a major food source, as incorporated into that are the fowls and rabbits.
Personally, and this is my own opinion, I feel that the idea of a'buy -it-and-forget' type of storage is a mistake. I would not want some weird foods in a crisis that I had never eaten before (because I had spent thousands25 years ago, and never tried it).I agree with Devonian that it is way over priced. I also agree that supermarket cans are perfectly acceptable as a 'long term 'prep. A garden is also a long term prep,and a perennial garden is the ultimate long' shelf-life' food.
As I say, that is how I view my storage, and I am not knocking anyone who stores such things as Mountain House.

[SoCal92057]

All canned foods do NOT use oxygen purging/depletion. Many canners simply strive to kill the bacteria by heat and seal the container by a partial vacuum. Additionally, MH food and other brands use dehydration to remove moisture which is an additional key factor in keeping foods flavorful for extended periods of time. I for one would prefer to enjoy flavorful food if possible, and not simply take the approach of eating anything that has not spoiled beyond being consumable.

I think that the rightful place for ordinary canned food is as a resource for the short term. Here in the U.S., Mountain House and other manufactures produce a very high quality product with very appealing taste, ease of preparation and at a reasonable price especially when you consider you won’t be able to eat your money when food is needed.

I do not recall anyone calling for simply storing food until the expiration date is approaching. If you are storing it, you should be rotating it and consuming it. Like it or not, if you plant crops and are in a SHTF scenario you will encounter those who will pilfer from you. After all, a garden is food left outside 24 hours a day. I maintain multiple sources of food in that I have canned goods with both near and distant “Use By” dates, farmland for crops and forest land with water for hunting and fishing. The ideal solution.

[SoCal92057]

You can get MH here but sadly like a lot of things from across the pond it's over priced, by that I mean it is all too easy to pay more pounds than you would dollars, and it can't all be to do with shipping, I do not know if the same thing happens if you guys want to buy something from the UK, but it does suck and probably hurts trade too.

Perhaps the much higher price is due to an import tax the UK imposes. Yes, import taxes do hurt trade while protecting domestic manufacturing.

[Plymtom]

You can get MH here but sadly like a lot of things from across the pond it's over priced, by that I mean it is all too easy to pay more pounds than you would dollars, and it can't all be to do with shipping, I do not know if the same thing happens if you guys want to buy something from the UK, but it does suck and probably hurts trade too.

Perhaps the much higher price is due to an import tax the UK imposes. Yes, import taxes do hurt trade while protecting domestic manufacturing.

The thing is we are talking about stuff we do not make here as such, the USA has long been known for protecting it's own manufacturing in such a way, and to a degree why the hell not? You could loose most of your industry and therefore independence by letting cheaper imports have a free run. But to impose taxes and restrictions on goods from an ally which do not compete in a significant way with your own companies is bad taxation surely? People will only buy it if they have no other choice..it is what it is I suppose.

[SoCal92057]

You can get MH here but sadly like a lot of things from across the pond it's over priced, by that I mean it is all too easy to pay more pounds than you would dollars, and it can't all be to do with shipping, I do not know if the same thing happens if you guys want to buy something from the UK, but it does suck and probably hurts trade too.

Perhaps the much higher price is due to an import tax the UK imposes. Yes, import taxes do hurt trade while protecting domestic manufacturing.

The thing is we are talking about stuff we do not make here as such, the USA has long been known for protecting it's own manufacturing in such a way, and to a degree why the hell not? You could loose most of your industry and therefore independence by letting cheaper imports have a free run. But to impose taxes and restrictions on goods from an ally which do not compete in a significant way with your own companies is bad taxation surely? People will only buy it if they have no other choice..it is what it is I suppose.

Your belief the U.S. protects its own industry would be disputed by most Americans and certainly all unions. Since the 80's, the U.S. has relentlessly moved towards free markets which has devastated our balance of trade as we cannot compete with 3rd world wages in the production of most goods. The U.S. has very few protective tariffs in place but I have first hand knowledge of the exorbitant tariffs that the UK has in place on a product that my business exports. By the way, there is not a television made in the U.S. as the business has gone to where the costs of production are lower. That is why we are able to purchase a color television in the U.S. for under $100. Free and open markets can and does displace many workers until they adjust their skill sets to fit a new source of employment.