Wieners O' Death

So, the experiment was undertaken. Can a ten year old MRE be eaten without ill effects? Especially one known as the "Four Fingers of Death"?

Let's open things up and find out!

First, the beans in tomato sauce:

Looks awful. Just like it did when it was freshly packaged. No odd scents......scratch that, no unexpected scents.

But what about the wieners (is that a great name for a film or what)?

True, they do look somewhat aged, but still no smell of decay. At least not similar to a deer in the ditch on a hot summer day, which is my personal reference standard.

So, into the pot (No, I didn't use the MRE heater; I just wanted to see if I'd get botulism, not torture myself).

End result?

It looked like Van Camp's Pork and Beans with Little Smokies cut up in them. But really, really salty. And you wouldn't have wanted to sleep in the same room with me. Draw your own conclusions there. But no stomach cramps, vomiting, or death. Again, much like when the pack was brand-new. So rest assured, if you have a decade-old Beef Frankfurter MRE in your basement, you can eat with a reasonable expectation that you may not become poisoned.

As long as you're not in an enclosed space without circulation.