1986/87 Ham and Chicken Loaf MRE

[Big_jo]

Well, the postman had a present for me today, my ancient MRE arrived!

mre.jpg (6.67 KiB) Viewed 11730 times

I'll post some pictures asap, but I've been thinking about whether to eat this ever since I bought it - it's about as old as I am!!!

So, what things should I be looking for to ensure that it is all ok and safe to eat, or should I avoid it altogether?? I've only ever eaten MREs from this century, so this is a big leap!

I'll post some pics in any case.

[dirtbag]

"You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!"

[hillbilly37]

I eat 1990 and 1991 MRE's all the time, yours is a bit older but i think its gonna depend mostly how they been treated the last 20+ yrs

[Dekard]

apis-uk0805_botulism_spores.jpg (14.1 KiB) Viewed 11711 times

botulism wheel of fun!

big_jo, come on down!

you could be our next big winner! you'll suffer from a variety of symptoms that could include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness.

Bonus! Constipation may occur! If left untreated - well...

(seriously - be very, very careful eating something this old)

[Big_jo]

Yeah, thats exactly the kind of thing I was worried about.

I guess any crackers/etc in there might be ok, but the main entrees...........

Norge, you test things like this, what say you???

[norge]

i would not have any trouble eating it.
my check list is:see for leaking,bulging
holes,and when opening meal(food pouches) bad smell.
other than that i have survived many old mre and other food stuff.

and since its a ham and chicken loaf!!!!!!!! yumi please post lots of pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!

cheers from ken

[norge]

some of my old eating old style mres

ken.

sorry for hijacking your post

[Big_jo]

Hahaha!

Don't worry about it. I thought to myself, it's almost a shame to be unsealing this MRE that has gone undisturbed for so long....then I thought that since it was made for eating, it would be a shame to let it all go to waste!

The MRE:

The contents:

It's got some things that I've never seen before!!

The spoon is different from modern MREs, more like the old MCI spoon? The bag does not contain an FRH, and it has a 'pouch stand', which seems like a good idea. The menu is:

Chicken and Ham Loaf
Beans in tomato sauce
Crackers
Peanut Butter
Dried Fruit


The pouches seem in perfect condition, firm but not swollen, and no leakage at all. Maybe I will give it a whirl

But if I do, I might keep a sample for the hospital lab: just in case!

[norge]

nice pictures!!!

now its chow time my friend

cheers ken.

btw the pouch stand is a real collection item!!! save it,dont eat it

[mreheater72]

Great pictures , thanks a lot! The MRE seems to be from 1986, isn´t it?

So long mreheater72