question: How do MREs not expire? There are channels on youtube that review some of them that are from 1980s or older?
comment: It's all about how well they are stored and what they are designed for. If you look at what goes into an MRE today, or what went into ration containers over the last century you'll see some common things. Anything that spoils on its own is removed. Anything that can spoil is packed in a way that minimizes the risk of spoilage, or has its recipe altered to make it more resistant to spoilage (for example, shelf stable bread and milk). The exterior container is designed to keep air and water out of the package, ensuring that no outside influences attack the food either. If the container is properly stored these things can last for years without trouble. When you watch someone like Steve1989MRE eat old rations one of the first points of commentary he will make (other than looking for a hiss) is how damaged the container is. He can usually tell just by looking at the exterior how viable the food inside will be.
passages: Sale of expired food products, "per se", is lightly regulated in the US. Some states restrict or forbid the sale of expired products, require expiration dates on all perishable products, or both, while other states do not. However, sale of contaminated food is generally illegal, and may result in product liability litigation if consumption of the food results in injury.
  
  After losing an expensive lawsuit, one pharmacy chain – CVS – implemented a system that causes its registers to recognize expired products and avert their sale.
   Each MRE meal contains approximately 1,200 calories. They are prepared to be eaten within a twenty-one day period. Packaging requirements are strict in order to maintain health codes. For example, MREs are created to withstand parachute drops from 1,250 feet high. The packaging itself is made to survive a life shelf of three and a half years at 81 degrees Fahrenheit, nine months at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and can even stay safe through short durations of −60 degrees Fahrenheit.
   While damage to the original packaging is common, damage to its contents is generally not preferred in determining if an item is NOS; however, many items have been on shelves or in storage and over time may have developed some damage. This minor damage from shelf life does not detract from an item being identified as NOS.
   Special reviews allow the PMRA to cancel or amend the registration of one or more registered pest control products without waiting for its scheduled re-evaluation. The special review of a product is initiated if there is reason to believe that risks may no longer acceptable based on new scientific information.
   Packaging requirements are strict. MREs must be able to withstand parachute drops from , and non-parachute drops of . The packaging is required to maintain a minimum shelf life of three and a half years at , nine months at , and short durations from to must be sustainable. New forms of packaging are being considered to better meet these requirements including the use of zein to replace the foil, which can be easily punctured, conducts heat, and is reflective (which may give away a servicemember's position).
   The expiration date of pharmaceuticals specifies the date the manufacturer guarantees the full potency and safety of a drug. Most medications continue to be effective and safe for a time after the expiration date. A rare exception is a case of renal tubular acidosis purportedly caused by expired tetracycline. A study conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration covered over 100 drugs, prescription and over-the-counter. The study showed that about 90% of them were safe and effective as long as 15 years past their expiration dates. Joel Davis, a former FDA expiration-date compliance chief, said that with a handful of exceptions - notably nitroglycerin, insulin and some liquid antibiotics - most expired drugs are probably effective.
   In 2009, a US-based expert microbiology testing firm performed third party testing on Evert Fresh Green Bags in their controlled lab environment, at the same time they were also sold under license by Debbie Meyer/Housewares America, Inc. The results from their findings had concluded that produce stored in Green Bags had less deterioration and thus more value than produce stored in regular commercial packaging, or that of a competitor which was also tested.
   Some glues and adhesives also have a limited storage life, and will stop working in a reliable and usable manner if their safe shelf life is exceeded.
  
  Rather different is the use of a time limit for the use of items like vouchers, gift certificates and pre-paid phone cards, so that after the displayed date the voucher etc. will no longer be valid. Bell Mobility and its parent company, BCE Inc. have been served with notice of a $100-million class-action lawsuit alleging that expiry dates on its pre-paid wireless services are illegal.
  
  Section::::See also.
  
  BULLET::::- Accelerated aging
  
  BULLET::::- Cold chain
   Global Trade Item Number barcode (GTIN, the former EAN) ant the UPC code get a all-over-the-world unique identifier, respectively for the product type (the part number) and the single product item (a serial number) or its batch unit, with the related expiring date.The GTIN and UPC codes have become an international standard to improve the food traceability or the drug traceability, as well the Net availability of the product data.
  
  Although Feeding America supply chain applies the GTIN and EAC codes since 2012, at July 2019 nobody of this charity network seems to manage any pharmaceutical drug product
   An investigation done in 2006 for the US Government Accountability Office determined multiple instances where sellers on eBay may have improperly obtained MREs and sold them to the public for private gain. As military MREs are procured using taxpayer dollars, they are intended to be consumed by individuals from authorized organizations and activities. Consequently, "if military MREs are sold to the general public on eBay, then they are clearly not reaching their intended recipients and represent a waste of taxpayer dollars and possible criminal activity." Further, MREs found on eBay are typically older and closer to their expiration date, having been sourced in "neighborhood yard sales" and "Marine base dumpsters."
   The National Yogurt Association (NYA) of the United States gives a "Live & Active Cultures Seal" to refrigerated yogurt products that contain 100 million cells per gram, or frozen yogurt products that contain 10 million cells per gram at the time of manufacture. In 2002, the FDA and WHO recommended that "the minimum viable numbers of each probiotic strain at the end of the shelf-life" be reported on labeling, but most companies that give a number report the viable cell count at the date of manufacture, a number that could be much higher than what exists at consumption. Because of the variability in storage conditions and time before eating, exactly how many active culture cells remain at the time of consumption is difficult to determine.
   Section::::Enforcement.:Regulations in the European Union.:Regulations in the UK.
  
  According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs dates must be in the day/month or day/month/year format. Technical expertise should be hired for regular end of shelf life safety and quality testing. Shelf life trials should be conducted using the same ingredients, equipment, procedures and manufacturing environment as will be used during the actual production. 
  
  Section::::Enforcement.:Regulation in the US.
   Section::::United States.
  
  The Food and Drug Administration in the United States notes that "[a] principle of U.S. food law is that foods in U.S. commerce must be wholesome and fit for consumption". However, the agency also states:
   Each MRE weighs , depending on the menu. Since MREs contain water, they weigh more than freeze-dried meals providing equivalent calories.
  
  Section::::Requirements.:Resale status.
  
  As a result of earlier unauthorized sales to civilians, the Department of Defense requires that 
  
  "U.S. Government Property, Commercial Resale is Unlawful"
   If the firm does not recall the product, then FDA can seek legal action under the "FD&C Act". These include seizure of available product, and/or injunction of the firm, including a court request for recall of the product.
  
  This cooperation between FDA and its regulated industries has proven over the years to be the quickest and most reliable method to remove potentially dangerous products from the market. This method has been successful because it is in the interest of FDA, as well as industry, to get unsafe and defective products out of consumer hands as soon as possible.
  
  Section::::Guidelines.
   Generally, foods that have a "use by" date written on the packaging must not be eaten after the specified date. This is because such foods usually go bad quickly and may be injurious to health if spoiled. It is also important to follow storage instructions carefully for these foods (for example, if they specify that the product must be refrigerated).
   WPVI-TV in Philadelphia also reported on the bags. The station had a viewer keep a log for thirty days. They tested Debbie Meyers Green Bags against Ziploc Storage Bags, Ziploc Storage Containers, and the food items' original packaging. While a few items did better in the Green Bags, the tester felt "Green Bags and Ziploc bags and Ziploc storage containers maintained the freshness of the produce about the same." The station tried to contact the company that sells the Debbie Meyer Green Bags about the results, but their requests for comments were not returned.
   Cooper and Mayers conducted household interviews to establish the age of 17 electrical and electronic items at discard and break. However it has been noted that user interviews are subject to the accuracy of memory, and that reviews of products which have failed in the past only provides information on "a historical situation" (: p. 10), not taking into account the features and lifetime of extant products.
  
  Section::::Measuring product lifetimes.:Actual product lifetimes.:Modelling.
   A 2013 labelling survey found just over half (55%) of those surveyed always read and comply with ‘use by’ dates and less than half (45%) always read and comply with ‘best before’ dates. Only a third (33%) of people always read and comply with storage instructions and a meager 14% always read and comply with cooking instructions.
  
  Section::::Research topics and education.:Lunch boxes.
   First put into service by the U.S. Space program, MREs featured specially designed meal pouches known as "retort packages". The pouches, made from multiple layers of flexible laminate, allowed for the sterile packaging of a wide variety of fully cooked, thermo stabilized (heat-treated) high caloric (1,300 on average) meals. They could be eaten cold, warmed by submersing in hot water, or through the use of a flameless ration heater, a meal component introduced by the military in 1992.
   The ARS researchers found that buckwheat microgreens packaged in films with an oxygen transmission rate of 225 cubic centimeters per square inch per day had a fresher appearance and better cell membrane integrity than those packaged in other films tested. Following these steps, the team maintained acceptable buckwheat microgreen quality for more than 14 days—a significant extension, according to authors. This study was published in LWT-Food Science and Technology in 2013.
   Most states have a statute of ultimate repose (similar to, but not to be confused with, a statute of limitations) that limits the length of time after which a party can legally be held liable for their negligent act or defective product. Many states have a "useful life" statute of ultimate repose. Therefore, a determination of the length of time the product would normally be expected to be used before wearing out needs to be made. For example, a refrigerator might have a longer "useful life" than an electric fan; an airplane might have a longer useful life than a car. Some states pick an arbitrary number of years for the statute of ultimate repose. It may be short (six or seven years) or longer 15 or 25 years. If a coffee maker starts on fire after the statute of ultimate repose has expired, the manufacturer can no longer be held liable for manufacturing or design defects. The statute of ultimate repose is different from the statute of limitations. In a state with a short statute of ultimate repose, it is common that a person's right to bring a claim in court expires before their injury ever occurs. Thus, if a defective product (for example a car) caused a collision when the steering failed, but the collision occurred after the expiration of a statute of ultimate repose, no claim could be brought against the manufacturer for selling a defective product. The right to bring the claim expired before the claim even occurred.
   BULLET::::- It is difficult to manufacture MEMS diagnostic devices outside of the laboratory setting. Much of the research on these devices takes place in climate controlled laboratories, where the devices can be tested shortly after they are produced. However, as many of these devices are used to screen for tropical diseases, they must be robust enough to survive in hot, humid conditions. They must also be stored for long periods from the time of production to the time of use.
   "Sell by date" is a less ambiguous term for what is often referred to as an "expiration date". Most food is still edible after the expiration date. A product that has passed its shelf life might still be safe, but quality is no longer guaranteed. In most food stores, waste is minimized by using stock rotation, which involves moving products with the earliest sell by date from the warehouse to the sales area, and then to the front of the shelf, so that most shoppers will pick them up first and thus they are likely to be sold before the end of their shelf life. Some stores can be fined for selling out of date products; most if not all would have to mark such products down as wasted, resulting in a financial loss.
   The expiration date of pharmaceuticals specifies the date the manufacturer guarantees the full potency and safety of a drug. Most medications continue to be effective and safe for a time after the expiration date. A rare exception is a case of renal tubular acidosis purportedly caused by expired tetracycline. A study conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration covered over 100 drugs, prescription and over-the-counter. The study showed that about 90% of them were safe and effective as long as 15 years past their expiration dates. Joel Davis, a former FDA expiration-date compliance chief, said that with a handful of exceptions - notably nitroglycerin, insulin and some liquid antibiotics - most expired drugs are probably effective.
  
presuppositions: MREs don't expire.
corrections: The shelf life of MREs depends on how well they are stored and what they are designed for.
raw_presuppositions: MREs don't expire. MREs don't expire.
raw_corrections: The shelf life of MREs depends on how well they are stored and what they are designed for. The shelf life of MREs depends on how well they are stored and what they are designed for.