Food Packet General Purpose - 1991

[steve1989]

In the past, one of these was reviewed, unfortunately, the container had been damaged and it was infested with old insect damage and refuse.

So, here's one that appears to look okay in most respects, other than a few scuffs and age marks.

So here's the deal, when I opened this I was planning on it to be at least half-way edible, but for some odd reason - even though the contents appear fine, smelled oddly plastic-like and stale. The contents tasted exactly as they smelled, sadly. So it was not edible past a noteworthy taste test.

The bouillon was, to no surprise, spoiled. The Coffee Type 1 was very acidic and stale tasting, and even though I used all 3 sugars, it still tasted God-Awful.

I wanted to see if the container really held 6 ounces, so I put the coffee in it.. yes it is exactly 6 ounces just below the brim.


Back before they updated the GP Survival Food Packet in the mid 1990's, they were in the old-style tins such as these. I feel, the issue with this design for long term food storage purposes is unstable against fluctuating temperatures. So they changed the design to that newer water-resistant wax cardboard packaging with fully-vacuum sealed packaging for the food unlike the semi-sealed clear packaging around these old food bars.

So here are the photos.

[steve1989]

Some More Pics

[steve1989]

1 more - inside the coffee type 1 packet before pouring into the container.

[Ruleryak]

Great review! Thanks for the pictures and for testing it out Shame it wasn't edible - those food bars were great (in my opinion, I know some folks hated them for being so dry).

[mreheater72]

steve1989, thank you very much for that detailed review with great photos !

I´m a little bit surprised that that ration was not edible anymore, ok, it was 23 years old when opened, but 23 years is not too old for an US ration GRANOLA BARS out of MREs with the same age are still edible, see here:

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4485

It is always great when anybody here reviews some vintage ration…

So long mreheater72

[dirtbag]

I suspect the Pop Top can is the problem.
If there is any weight on the top, such as stacked cans, the pop top ...seam, I guess its called, will crack, allowing air in.

I had a can of cat food that did that in my pantry, took a long time to find it...
Fresh cat food is bad, rotten cat food is horrible

[housil]

This "pop top" lid´s are a problem in deed.
The e.g. French + Dutch entrees have them too and they *love* to crack open "accidently" due to rough handling. The precut opening is also a welcome to germs/oxigen that spoil the content.

[Bypah]

I did a review of one of those severaly ears back and they were edible.
It surprised me too since I have several of those cans and so far they are still good.
The boullion maybe not good but the coffee and the granola bars are ok.

[rationtin440]

Yes, very good pics indeed! I'm curious about the types of ingredients in those granola bars pictured in the older food packet versus the dark brown, nearly-impossible-to-read packaging on the oatmeal and cornflakes cereal bars in that maybe the nutritionists at Natick Labs found something to increase the shelf life of them? I believe someone did a taste test/review of the newer dark brown wrapped bars but cannot find it here in mreinfo.com