Am_Fear's ethnocentric posting points out the single most overlooked point of emergency food- palatability.

If I was a cowboy, and I have been, being handed something called 'Western Stew' from an 'all vegetarian' survival bucket would recreate a scene from an old Clint Eastwood movie and a convenient cottonwood.

A survival situation is #1 an exercise in increased physical and emotional stress.Any foods should be FAMILIAR. If you're going with MRE's,MAINSTAY bar or 20 boxes of Oreo cookies with powdered milk EAT ONE.If you find it unpalatable, it's going to be a LONG 72 hours.

A 72 hour food supply can be easilly assembled with familiar bulk and single serve items. The simple strategy of periodic USE and ROTATION will insure freshness as good, if not better than some 20 year plastic bucket.
The main criteria is reduced water which is prohibitively heavy in some canned goods. The flip side is we need water and must match those canned goods for cooking.

This COSCO product represents a marketing response to a new retail opportunity. It appeals to NEW survival consumers who are newly aware of potential disasters. The flaw is they, and COSCO think a convenient bucket wil be both effective and instant gratification like so many other consumer baubles.

Conversation gleaned from recent observation AT A COSCO, customer standing outside COSCO talking on cellphone " Hey babe, yes, I just left COSCO. I've got the champagne and sundried tomatos you needed, but they were all out of smoked almonds. Yes, I know I guess I'll swing by the deli and try them after I fill the Corvette up - oh, is our SMELL Oil C/C maxed out? Oh, and I got this 72 hour survival bucket thing. So we don't have to worry about earthquakes anymore. Love you, kiss,kiss." Turns up radio playing I LOVE L.A. and pulls out, giving a rude guesture to lady he almost backed into.