"Long term availability of bakery bread and cake products can be quite difficult to obtain during an extended emergency. "

If ever we have a huge earthquake in California, make sure you mail me a large fruit cake from the UK.
Hahahahaha !!!

Maybe not everybody here appreciates that comment. Back in the World Wars of the last century soldiers from England were fighting under very bad conditions (trench warfare) in Europe. A lot of food supplies that were sent to the army went bad, or could not be easily prepared. British families responded by mailing fruit cakes. I suppose they probably wrapped them well in greaseproof paper, or something like that. These fruit cakes are basically heavy grain cakes loaded with a lot of moist fruit (like raisins and sultanas). The consistency of these cakes is quite damp and moist. For some reason - which I really don't understand - these fruit cakes last a very long time in storage at room temperature. They can be eaten weeks, and even months, after they have been prepared. They are very rich and high in calories. So they actually make quite a good survival food ... as far as sending a package to someone in a disaster zone.

Am_Fear_Liath_Mor probably knows a whole lot more about this than I do ... so he can clarify.

Pete2