Martin,

I read the FAQ's on the StarKist link you provided. They kept name dropping (a not uncommon occurrence from time to time on this forum) the FDA and the EPA but nowhere in the FAQ's did they mention that they were packaged in foreign countries. So,
I clicked on "Contact Us" and sent them an email detailing my concerns about the cleanliness of the packaging and the purity of the product. I will be interested in seeing what they have to say. If they reply, I will post their response here on this thread. Maybe I am just seeing spooks where there are none but I want to know that what I put in my mouth is clean and safe to eat and that there is some regulatory agency at their factory to assure me of this.

Stay tuned. <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Boone

Troy, I have to wonder if you ever went thru basic military training and awoke to find chipped beef on toast. It was the most dreaded item on the menu. It had it's own unique name. I won't repeat it here but it had to do with ROOFING! <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Clue: SOAS

Boone

It's food, and as such, it needs to pass U.S. standards, the same as drugs sold here, but as to the point that it's being shipped in from outside our border, I'm in complete agreement with you. That's about all I'll say on the matter, if I get up on the soap box, I'm liable to get another post shut down <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Troy

Basic... no, but I know what you're referring to, good ol' SOS. Never had it "in service", but I've had it fixed by a navy cook, and went back not only for seconds, but thirds. I guess it's all in what you like, I guess that could explain my enjoying MREs too <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Troy

Biologically, the product has to be sterile; otherwise it would spoil within a matter of hours. True, it could have chemical contaminates, but that would likely be due to the source of the fish not the processing plant (possible but unlikely) and therefore whether it was processed/packaged in the US is irrelevant.

I have had the opportunity to visit a local yogurt making plant in Quito, Ecuador and can tell you the sanitary conditions, the quality control and freshness of the product is equivalent to anything in the US and perhaps even better. All fruits that went into making the product are harvested, shipped and processed into the yogurt within 12- 24 hours, some of the best yogurt I have ever had in my life. Health officials regularly inspect the plant; it has and maintains modern equipment equal to anything in the US.

Pete

The retort pouch is basically just a high tech can. It is made of laminated films instead of metal.

If you check out the regular canned foods, like sardines, you will find that many of them are canned outside of the US. You would be hard pressed in the US to find a can of Corned Beef that is not from South America.

Of course, it is no surprise that products like coffee or bananas are almost always imported, but if you look close at labels you will probably be surprised at how much of your food comes from other countries.

I will not get off on the political rant about imported products, but just add: Why should retort pouches be any different from other foods?

Looked at nutritional info for MREs at www.millenniumark.net
Typical in garrison Messhall food gets you 3,000 to 6,000 mgs of sodium per day ( 3 meals). MREs contain between 1667 and 2336 mgs of sodium per individual meal, not counting the salt packet. RDA for sodium is 2400 mgs.
Dave

If I'm not mistaken, MREs have a higher caloric intake as well, and presumably in a survival situation you may not even be eating more than one meal a day. Plus these are designed for military use where a human body is under a great deal of stress and daily activity. So that soldier is burning a lot more calories than I am sitting on my can in front of my computer. They are also, presumably, drinking a lot of water and sweating. So the sodium intake is to put back what they are losing. They probably also need potassium and some other electrolytes.

6000mg of sodium might seem like a lot, but your average American diet probably takes well over the 2400mg anyway. A Super-size fries is about 400mg and a King-size BK fries is like 1100! A QuarterPounder with Chees is 1150. A McD's Chicken Selects 5pc has 1500mg and a deluxe breakfast has nearly 2000.

So don't go slamming MREs... they were designed for a specific purpose. Forward deployed troops without access to a mess hall are typically burning more calories and sweating out salt. The same might be true in a survival situation.

One thing I do know... if all I have to eat are MREs, I'm not going to care how much salt I'm eating as long as I have plenty of water. It might concern those with HBP, but meds should help with that as would eliminating as much of the salt as you can before eating and drinking plenty of water.

By the way, nuts and peanuts are really high quality sources of emergeny calories. Efficient, delivering good fat, protein and carbos (both complex and simple sugar) and in a good ratio (higher fats and about even protein and carbs. As long as you have a mix/blend, you should also get decent mix of vitamins and minerals.

Edit: By the way, I'm just saying that MREs have their place, and someone reading that they have a lot of salt may skip over them as an option without more information. :-) I really didn't mean this as any sort of directed flame or anything.

Same place lists 1300 cals. per meal.

Dave

Scott O'Grady mentions in his book, Return With Honor, that once aboard the helicopter after being rescused, he was offered an MRE (Meals Rejected by Ethiopians). In spite of the fact that he had been without food for a number of days, he took a taste and passed on the rest. This was after eating ants and drinking water he squeezed from the socks he was wearing.
I guess MREs are an acquired taste, not to be found in the Officer's Mess.