I would hazzard a guess that the "average joe" seller offering meals that are past inspection and date back a ways, whether in cases or individual, probably won't get that much attention. I mean, some guys are selling them to get back money they had to shell out for the meals with no choice in the matter. At least that is what some are claiming and I'll take them at their word.
But someone offering 36 cases of 2014 MRE's, clearly the freshest out there and in quantity(!), is probably going to get someones butt in the air. I can't imagine the cost in man hours tracking down and recovering one case, but 36

I'm sure this is on someones radar. Especially when someones says today its 36 cases of MRE's, tomorrow it's 3 cases of something more dangerous! Also keep in mind how "brown" rolls up hill. If this turns into an investigation and the feces strikes the air ocelator you can be sure heads will roll over a lack of inventory control.
Of course, it could also be as simple as just an "overage" in the order as delivered. But that still doesn't make it okay.
"FIND THE BASTARDS, THEN PILE ON" - Standing Order of Col. George S. Patton Jr., C.O. 11th ACR.
"We may find in the long run that tinned food is a deadlier weapon than the machine-gun" - George Orwell.