The Emergency Preparedness Center 7 Store

Sopakco - Meals Ready to Eat

Each Sure-Pak 12 Meal case contains 12 individual meal kits—two each of six menus— including vegetarian options. Each meal kit contains an entrée, side dish, dessert item, cracker or wheat bread and spread, beverage powder, and a condiment pack with a spoon, napkin, wet nap, salt, pepper, coffee, creamer and sugar. Sure-Pak 12 menus vary and can include these favorites:

Beef Ravioli
Beef Stew
Cheese Omelet with Vegetables
Cheese Tortellini
Chili Macaroni
Grilled Chicken Breast
Chicken with Noodles
Meatloaf with Gravy
Penne Pasta with Veggie Sausage Crumbles
Sloppy Joes
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Vegetable Lasagna

Sure-Pak 12 menus cannot be specified on a case-by-case basis. 

* Shelf life determined by several factors and can be shorter than 5 years if not stored properly.
** Flameless heaters are not part of the standard case and can be ordered if needed.

Questions

Answers

1. What are Sure-Pak Meals?
Sure-Pak Meals are fully prepared shelf-stable foods that are storable for up to five years based on storage conditions. These convenient, ready-to-eat meals come in delicious favorites like spaghetti with meat sauce, meatloaf and grilled chicken. No refrigeration is necessary and self-heating options are available.

2. Who Is SOPAKCO?
SOPAKCO, Inc., is a world leader in the design, processing, and packaging of processed foods using traditional and emerging packaging technologies. The South Carolina-based company has been the largest supplier of Meals Ready-to-Eat (MREs) to the U.S. military for more than 30 years and is a preferred partner to many major international food companies.

3. How are Sure-Pak Meals different from military Meals Ready-to-Eat (MREs)?
Military MREs contain an average of 1,250 calories per meal. Sure-Pak Meals contain 900 to 1,250 calories per meal. Military MREs contain extra items not included in Sure-Pak Meals such as gum, candy, toilet paper, and hot sauce.

4. How are Sure-Pak Meals used?
Sure-Pak Meals were originally developed for use by the military for times when formal meal preparation was not possible. The meals are fully cooked, nutritious, lightweight, and simple to store. This has made them popular for emergency preparedness meals as well as on-the-go meals for hikers, campers, hunters, and other outdoor enthusiasts.

5. What are self-heating options?
Sure-Pak Meals can be eaten cold or hot. If a hot meal is preferred, there are several heating options. Pouches can be placed in direct sunlight or on a heated surface. The pouches also can be placed in boiling water. A flameless, self-heating option is available, but is not recommend for the young or elderly as it does pose a risk of injury due to high heat.

 6. How many calories does each Sure-Pak Meal contain?
Sure-Pak Meals contain between 900 to 1,250 calories per meal, depending on the entrée and individual components. A minimum of two meals per person per day is recommended for a 72-hour period.

8. How long will Sure-Pak Meals last?
Sure-Pak Meals can be stored for up to five years based on storage temperature. This is known as "shelf life." Shelf life may be extended if stored in a cool temperature. Heat may shorten shelf life. Freezing is not recommended as it may damage the seal on the pouches used to package the entrees and side dishes, causing them to spoil. .

* Based on NATICK's study of Meals Ready-to-Eat, which uses packaging and production technologies like that of Sure-Pak 12. This information is provided as a general indication of the effects of storage temperature on Sure-Pak Meals and is not a guarantee of the actual shelf life.

9. What are the weights and dimensions of the Sure-Pak 12 Meals case?
A: Each individual case is 16.75”L x 9.25”W x 11”H. A case of Sure-Pak 12 Meals without heaters weighs 19 pounds. A case of Sure-Pak 12 with heaters weighs 20 pounds.

A pallet is 44”L x 52”W x 43”H and is stackable. One pallet of Sure-Pak 12 Meals without heaters 962 pounds. One pallet of Sure-Pak 12 Meals with heaters 1,010 pounds.
*Weights are approximate and may vary.

10. How do I find the expiration date on my Sure-Pak Meal?
Because the shelf life varies based on storage temperature, Sure-Pak Meals do not have an expiration date. There is, however, a pack date on the bottom of the case in the form of a four-digit number such as "5123"; the "5" represents the year "2005"; the "123" represents the actual day of that year or Julian date; this case was packed on the 123rd day of 2005.

11. How many cases come in a pallet?
There are 48 cases per pallet.

12. How do I order Sure-Pak Meals?
Sure-Pak 12 meals can be ordered in bulk or by the case. To place an order, click here.

13. Do you ship overseas? 

Not at this time.

14. How long will it take to receive my order of Sure-Pak Meals? 

Orders of less than 24 cases typically ship via UPS ground. Orders of 24 cases and more are shipped via a freight carrier. Most orders are shipped within 24-72 hours.

 Other questions???

What do MRE's Taste Like?

Opinions very all over the board on this question. Just like store canned goods, you either like them or not. They taste very similar to canned foods. We have some customers that love eating MRE’s so much that they have them for lunch several times a week. Then again, I've heard military grunts say that MRE's really stand for "Meals-Rejected-by-Ethiopians" (they probably miss Mom’s cooking).

Are MRE's Dehydrated or Freeze-Dried?

No. MRE's are totally different. Unlike dehydrated or freeze dried foods which both require water to reconstitute them, MRE's are precooked "in the pouch" and retain their full moisture like canned food items, just with a much longer shelf-life.

Can MRE's be Eaten Cold?

You bet. The main MRE entrees, such as Beef Steak, Chicken with Noodles, Turkey Breast, etc.(meal varieties constantly change), require no cooking prior to eating. Each MRE entree can be eaten cold, directly from the pouch. Now I will admit, eating MRE's cold is like eating from a store bought canned food item. They are always ‘better tasting’ when warmed up. Just tear open the pouch and eat straight out of it, anytime, anywhere!

What’s the Best Way to Warm/Heat Up an MRE?

MRE pouches can be heated-up in a variety of different ways. Use your imagination. Here are just a few of the most common ways:

1. Using Water-Activated MRE Flameless Instant Heater Pads.
   
2. Lay the foil pouch in direct sunlight, allowing the sun to warm it.
   
3. Placed the pouch up against your body, allowing its' radiated heat to warm the food inside.
   
4. Pouch contents can placed squeeze out into a bowl or plate and heated in a microwave oven.
   
5. The pouch can be laid on a warm surface, such as a warm engine block, to absorb the heat from the warm object.

6. The sealed pouch can be placed in a pan of warm or hot water for 5-10 minutes. (If you use hot water, be careful. The foil pouch can get very hot and cause burns).

What Specs were MRE's Designed to Meet?

MRE pouches have been extensively tested by the U.S. Military and designed to a higher standard that normal store bought foods. Here are just some of the rigorous requirement they were made to meet:

1. 100% survival rate from a military cargo parachute drop
   
2. A survival rated of at least 75% in the event of a
   air cargo parachute failure
   
3. Survive under the harshest of weather conditions
   
4. Withstand extreme soldier field abuse
   
5. Handle outdoor storage anywhere in the world
   
6. Pass 7,000 individual pouch drops from 20 inches
   
7. Be able to withstand a static load of 200 pounds for three minutes.

The tan and green colors were selected to help provide low visibility in the field. Bright colors or shiny packages could unnecessarily 'giveaway' a soldiers position in battle.

Can MRE’s be used for Camping?

Absolutely! The ready-to-eat convenience of MRE's make them ideal for use while backpacking, camping, hunting, boating and fishing.

Are MRE’s Good for Food Reserves and Emergency Preparedness?

MRE’s are an excellent choice for short term (1-3 months) food reserves. When is comes to Emergency Food Reserves, several consideration must be taken into account. The basics considerations are 1) What emergency are you preparing for (power blackout, earthquake, hurricane, terrorist attack, etc.), and 2) How long do you want to prepare for? Here are some of the Advantages & Disadvantages to MRE’s you may wish to consider: