Home Page

Most food is distributed through a long supply chain. For example, if you purchase a loaf of bread, the grocery store has a computer system, which tracks the arrival and consequent sale of each loaf of bread. It does so in order to reorder bread as needed in order to have a continual supply of fresh bread on hand. The ingredients for the bread including packaging, travel hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles to arrive at the place where the bread is manufactured. A disruption in the transportation of any portion of the material used to make the bread including packaging, can cause the bread manufacturing to be stopped dead in it's tracks..

Let's examine a few obvious potential causes of a disruption:
Supplier failure in being able to ship their product or ingredients necessary to manufacture the bread. This could be caused by any number of problems initiated by the terrorist activity. A food storage program suddenly becomes vital to every family.

Highway infrastructure can also cause a disruption. It can be simply a bridge across a river being attacked and consequently rendered unsafe for trucks to cross. Imagine now, a dozen or more major bridges all across our country simultaneously being rendered unsafe to use. The immediate outcome would be widespread an deep disruption in our infrastructure's ability to maintain a viable food supply chain, regardless of what type of food.

Diesel fuel is also an important issue. All trucks used for delivery use diesel fuel. A disruption in the supply of diesel fuel can cause a local or nationwide disruption in the food supply chain. This was observed in Great Britain in the recent past, where exceptionally high costs of fuel caused truckers to rebel. They artificially disrupted the supply chain by stopping their trucks in the middle of the road, refusing to move. This action though artificial and short-termed, brought Great Britain's industry to it's knees.

A interruption of our food supply system, would no doubt initiate panic. Hoarding would become the order-of-the-day. Even individuals who were successful in loading their cars with food and supplies, would only be able to bring home enough food for a week or two or three. A genuine food shortage, brought on by a terrorist action, would no doubt last many weeks or more likely months. It is not inconceivable, for widespread starvation to occur throughout the US, as a consequence to a successful attack and breakdown in our food supply system.

PREPARING FOR SHORT-TERM FOOD SHORTAGES:
In the event of a possible disruption of infrastructure for whatever reason, we recommend a food reserve of a minimum of 4 and 8 weeks. Regarding the lesser likelihood of a very severe and potentially long-term breakdown in our food supply system, it would be appropriate to have reserves for up to 12 months or more.

Stocking the pantry "short-term":
The simplest approach would be to merely over stock your everyday non-perishable food supply in your pantry. Rather than having a two to three-week supply, just increase your canned and boxed goods supply, to whatever level you wish. The important thing is, to label and segmentize your storage, to facilitate the rotation of your inventory. Each week or two you merely replenish what you used. The newly purchased food becomes the last to be used. Continue to restock regularly. Most canned and boxed food has a shelf-life a 6 to a 24 month. This particular strategy will allow you to have your own stockpile and none of it will go to waste. It has limitations, due to size and weight and more importantly nutritional value. Canned and boxed foods have a significant diminishment in nutritional value. At a time in our lives, when stress and fatigue will be major issues, many experts consider relying on food with diminished nutritional value as a very bad choice. Some of us will have no choice.

There are several disadvantages to this approach. The food will not be not dehydrated or freeze-dried and will contain a lot of water which will increase the overall weight and storage size. As mentioned, the nutritional value of canned goods is known to be inferior to freeze-dried and/or dehydrated food as well. Another disadvantage is shelf life. Canned goods have a shelf life up to 24 months, whereas freeze-dried and dehydrated can last from 10 to 20 years. Since we are being told by the present administration, that the war on terrorism will last many years, the prospect of hoarding a large supply of nonperishable food and needing to rotate it often, in order to maintain it's viability, seems to be a more expensive strategy in the long run. Not to mention the deliberate overuse of nonperishable canned food, which will compromise your immune system due to reduced nutritional value.

PREPARING FOR LONG-TERM FOOD SHORTAGES:
There are several strategies, which you can integrate effectively. Gardening can of course be a source for very fresh and nutritious food. Seed sprouting is an easy and very rewarding activity. Freeze-dried and/or dehydrated foods will make up the bulk of food storage programs, most families will need for long-term shortages in food.

Gardening is a simple and rewarding project for families who have the appropriate space and soil. You may want to purchase and store all the necessary tools, fertilizers, seeds, and insecticides (choose organic when possible), until needed. When purchasing seeds, buy non-hybrid seeds. Non-hybrid seeds regenerate. That is, seeds created from their plants can be stored and used next year. You have your own built in seed factory. Hybrid seeds are genetically altered and are sterile. They will not produce seeds.

Sprouting will provide you year round, with fresh, green, live whole foods for pennies a day. Nutritionists point out that the nutritional value of sprouts is higher than the matured plant. With this in mind, families whom for what ever reason, choose to use canned goods, can gain a substantial boost in their nutritional intake by supplementing their canned and boxed goods with plenty of fresh sprouts.

MEALS READY TO EAT (MRE'S)
Courtesy of "Emergency Essentials"

Originally designed for the U.S. government, these compact pouches contain delicious ready to eat foods. MRE's have been used since the 1970's in the U.S. Space Program, Military, Forest Service, FEMA and in more recent years, many foreign governments have started using these versatile foods.

A main concern in the development and testing of rations for the U.S. government has always been shelf life. All MRE foods are packaged in triple-layer plastic/aluminum pouches that have better storage qualities than heavy cans, with no need for a can opener. The food in these pouches is precooked and sealed at a high temperature so that bacteria is neutralized and the food will be shelf stable even when stored at room temperature. Some of the best information available on MRE shelf life is the storage life chart (see below) compiled by the U.S. Army's Natick Research Laboratories. This chart provides a good overview and summary of the findings gathered from their testing of MRE products.

Storage Temperature(°F) 	Months of Storage

	120° 				1
	110° 				5
	100° 				22
	90° 				55
	80° 				76
	70° 				100
	60° 				130

Note: Below 60° - not enough data yet collected, however, projections are the 130 month storage life will be extended.

Note: Time and temperature have a cumulative effect. For example, storage at 100° for 11 months then removed to storage at 70° would lose one-half of the 70° storage life. Also avoid fluctuating temperatures, in and out of freezing levels. Due to the cumulative effect of time and temperature, a regular rotation of MRE's within 5 to 7 years is recommended.

More About MRE Shelf Life

1. The shelf life ratings shown in the chart on the front of this paper were determined by taste panels -panels of "average" people, mostly office personnel - at the Natick lab. Their opinions were combined to determine when a particular component, or in this case the entire MRE ration, was no longer acceptable.
2. The shelf life determinations were made solely on the basis of taste, as it was discovered that acceptable nutritional content and basic product safety would extend way beyond the point where taste degradation would occur. This means the MRE's would be safe and give a high degree of food value long after the timing suggested in the chart.
3. MRE pouches have been tested and redesigned where necessary according to standards much stricter than for commercial food. They must be able to stand up to abuse tests such as obstacle course traversal in field clothing pockets; storage outdoors anywhere in the world; shipping under extremely rough circumstances (such as by truck over rocky terrain); 100% survival of parachute drops; 75% survival from free failure drops; severe repetitive vibration (1 hour a t G vibration); 7,920 individual pouch drops from 20 inches; and individual pouches being subject to a static load of 200 pounds for three minutes.
4. Freezing an MRE retort pouch does not destroy the food inside, but repeated freezing increases the chance that the stretching and stressing of the pouch will cause a break on a layer of the laminated pouch. These pouches are made to withstand 1,000 flexes, but repetitive freezing does increase the failure rate by a small fraction of a percent. Also if MRE food is frozen, then thawed out, it must be used the same as if you had thawed commercial food from your own freezer at home.

FREEZE-DRIED FOODS
Freeze-dried products are generally included in food storage programs. If you prefer instant or quick rehydration of certain dried foods, while retaining their original shape and texture, freeze-drying is the preferred method. Freeze-dried products include grains, beans, fruits, meats, seafood, pastas, vegetables and eggs. These ingredients can be acquired individually or they can be combined into a well-rounded meal. In order to prepare freeze-dried foods one merely needs to add hot or cold water. Freeze-dried foods or more expensive than dehydrated and are on the top end of the budget range.

Advantages of freeze-dried foods:

• Retain the original taste and nutritional value of the food
• Foods are quick and easy to prepare
• Little or no waste
• Ideal method of retaining original flavor of meat, poultry and fish
• Extended shelf life
• Preservatives are seldom present
• A very compact and lightweight
• Are available wide variety of foods including prepared meals

Disadvantages of freeze-dried foods:

• Require an adequate budget
• Some items may be taste challenged

DEHYDRATED FOODS
Dehydration occurs by passing food along a conveyor belt in an oven at a high temperature, over a short period of time. This process removes up to 95 percent of the moisture content. Drying food goes back thousands of years, even the Egyptians dehydrated food for storage. Food spoilage occurs because of a combination of water, heat and oxygen. Removing the water and oxygen greatly retard the spoilage process. Shelf-life can be extended up to 20 years. These factors and others make dehydrated foods, ideal for food storage programs.

Certain vegetables and foods adapt well to a dehydrated process, whereas others do not. Items such as onions, peppers, tomatoes, celery, carrots and mushrooms adapt well. Items such as peas, corn, green beans do not do well. Meat is not available in a dehydrated form. Processing companies have solved this problem by creating an assortment of vegetable based meat flavored substitutes. If a family chooses, there are various types of dehydrated equipment available in order for you to create your own dehydration process at home.

Advantages of dehydrated foods:

• They are quick and easy to prepare to eat
• Little or no waste
• No preservatives are necessary
• Very light weight and compact
• Long shelf life, up to 20 years
• No peeling, trimming our washing
• Can be used year-round
• Require no special storage such as refrigeration
• Are resistant to infestation and/or bacteria growth
• Are easy to measure prepare
• Work well for special diets

Disadvantages of dehydrated foods:

• Have a tendency to be taste challenged
• There are a limited variety of foods prepared in this process
• Some items are slow to rehydrate

How much should you inventory?
When it comes to storing food, purchase the essentials first. Here is a good rule of thumb for an average adult for one year, at 2300 calories a day:

• 300 pounds of grains, wheat, rice, oats, corns, etc.
• 60 pounds of dried beans, peas, lentils.
• 60 pounds of honey, sugar or a combination of the two.
• 75 pounds of powdered milk.
• 20 pounds of oils and fats.
• 5 pounds of salt.
• Plus vitamins and leavening agents, yeast and baking powder, seasonings and flavorings

The packaging of freeze-dried and/or dehydrated food is important. Most freeze-dried and/or dehydrated products are delivered in No. 10 size cans, which are approximately 1 gallon in size. They also are available in No. 2 or 1/2 size can, which are approximately one-half gallon. These are high-quality cans designed for long-term storage. The ingredients are packed in a nitrogen-flush environment and include a state-of-the-art oxygen absorber. The nitrogen environment eliminates the presence of decay producing oxygen. The oxygen absorber removes what little oxygen might remain after the container is sealed. The result is a sealed container full of nitrogen and food material, which will last many many years.

STORING YOUR FOOD SUPPLY/SYSTEM
It is important for food storage areas to be away from extreme heat or cold (not above 70 degrees or below freezing). It should be kept away from rodents. Because of these measures storing your system inside your home becomes desirable. If you must keep your food supply the garage, you must take measures to protect against heat and cold. Do so with sheets of insulation, cardboard etc.. Prolonged exposure to heat and cold can greatly deteriorate the nutritional quality of the food.

A few comments about canned and/or jarred food. It is reasonably important to use up these items by the "sell by" and/or "use by" date listed on each container. The dates have a large margin of error built into them. Consequently, it is safe to use these goods for quite a while after the posted date. We do not recommend doing so. Do so only in what might be considered a food emergency.

STORAGE TIPS & TRICKS

• Keep your food storage in a cool dark area, not above 70 or below freezing
• Keep food covered at all times
• Use a first in, first out rotation system
• Do not place on the cold floor or exterior wall
• Open containers carefully in order to close properly
• Crackers, cereals, cookies, and breads should be kept in plastic airtight containers
• Sugar and dried fruit etc., should be kept in containers not subject to crawly things
• Boxed goods should be placed in metal containers
• Always inspected food for spoilage prior to meal preparation
• Always use a food rotation system, which includes a date code system

HOUSEHOLD EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Non electronic kitchen devices recommended:

• Several manual can openers
• Paper plates and paper towels
• Aluminum foil to line pans to avoid use of water
• Heavy-duty zip block bags of all sizes
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Plastic trash bags and twist ties
• Disposable baby feeding items if needed

Information presented within the pages of this web site as well as hyperlinks to other remote pages, is presented for informational and educational purposes only. Please refer to our Disclaimer Page before proceeding and or leaving this website.

Last edited on ... March 15, 2007
All Rights Reserved, Copyright © 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009