Published on Jan 26, 2016 
 
 http://www.mremarketplace.com/ 
 
 www.mreinfo.com 
 
 https://www.patreon.com/user?u=282133... 
 
 Steve1989 MREinfo here, hello everyone! This time, we are checking out a WW2 Canadian "Food Container" from 1945. This thing was notorious back then for being the most awful (and memorable) Ration eaten by the Canadian Troops - and now we are peering back in time to something that those poor guys had to eat then. And I get to eat it now! 
 
 
 
 Watch me eat the oldest ever recorded (as of January 25th, 2016) chocolate, and biscuits! 
 
 
 
 I ended up eating more than half of this Ration - actually the camera cut off for 4 of the biscuits, but I at most of those. And half of one of the 71 year old chocolate bars, and one of the two 6-count chocolate tablet packs. It was quite an experience! 
 
 
 
 Hope you enjoy the video, and thanks so much everyone for you kind support! 
 
 
 
 -Steve 
 
 
 
 
 
 **All music written by Steve1989 MREinfo** 
 
 
 
 Check out there other awesome YT reviewers: 
 
 
 
 Craigm94 MREinfo: 
 
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4cL... 
 
 
 
 stickyfingaz745: 
 
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChEq... 
 
 
 
 gschultz9: 
 
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChEq... 
 
 
 
 gundog4314: 
 
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7dA... 
 
 
 
 Kiwi Dude: 
 
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIUT... 
 
 
 
 Alex Jackson: 
 
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE9M... 
 
 
 
 Paul Buikema: 
 
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ51... 
 
 
 
 Elandil: 
 
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCspV... 
 
 
 
 Bush Master: 
 
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu0H... 
 
 
 
 dingo7055: 
 
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU8d... 
 
 
 
 No East Too Far: 
 
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVVg... 

 A G.I. eating a compressed dehydrated vegetable bar in 1971. (Photo: Natick Soldier Systems Center Photographic Collection/CC BY 3.0) 
 
 Even if they’ve been baked to perfection and stored in an airtight tin, cookies just don’t taste so scrumptious when they’re 71 years old. Youtube user Steve1989 can tell you this from personal experience. 
 
 In January, Steve—who keeps his last name secret—uploaded a video to YouTube in which he opened a tin of Canadian army rations that had been packaged in 1945. “Oh, man. Those smell awful,” he said, as he unwrapped the foil surrounding a dozen cookies. 
 
 He tasted one. 
 
 “Hmm. That’s pretty disgusting.” 
 
 He ate the whole cookie. Then he ate four more. Satisfied with the breadth of that taste taste, he moved on to sample the next packet: a cylinder of 71-year-old chocolate pellets. 
 
 Steve1989 is a ration reviewer. He’s part of a growing online community of people around the world who collect, swap, and taste-test military MREs—the self-contained, robustly packaged “Meals, Ready to Eat” that get doled out to soldiers in the field. 
 
 A typical long-range patrol ration pack. (Photo: Natick Soldier Systems Center Photographic Collection/CC BY 3.0) 
 
 Whether decades old or freshly packaged, MREs are not known for their gourmet flavors. Designed to provide sustenance to active troops in combat situations, they generally consist of an entree, side dish, dessert, and vacuum-packed snacks, which together form one high-calorie meal. Utensils, powdered drink mixes, and a flameless heating device for warming up the main dish round out the package, which is often colored khaki to blend in to the rest of a soldier’s kit. 
 
 This less-than-appetizing meal might be assumed to have little appeal outside the military. But civilians are interested in MREs for a few reasons. Some are ex-military, and develop a nostalgic curiosity. Others are concerned with emergency preparedness. Still others fall into a YouTube hole, end up watching a guy sample a vacuum-packed tuna-noodle entree from 1989, and get hooked on the MRE buy-swap-sell phenomenon. 
 
 Fifteen years ago, MRE enthusiasts had no way of establishing a community. Then a man named Kinton Connelly arrived on the scene. In 1999, Connelly, who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, started noticing MREs—“these little, almost unmarked brown packages,” as he calls them—popping up as part of emergency preparedness plans for Y2K. “I’d seen them at various shows and army surplus stores,” he says. “I’d never tried one, but I was always fascinated by it, so when Y2K came around I started looking for some more information about them.” 
 
 MRE pouches, opened to display the enticing contents. (Photo: Natick Soldier Systems Center Photographic Collection/CC BY 3.0) 
 
 The Y2K disaster, of course, was a huge anti-climax. But the lead-up did take Connelly in a new direction—having found scant information on MREs, he “kept digging and digging,” eventually amassing a wealth of details on MRE history and menus. He launched MREinfo.com in 2003 with the aim of sharing his knowledge. Two years later, in response to multiple requests, Connelly added a forums section to the site so MRE collectors could talk to one another. 
 
 “To my shock and surprise, it really took off—and not just with people in the U.S., but people from all over the world,” he says. “Once the international visitors started coming in, there was a lot more trading that started happening.” 
 
 American collectors could finally get their hands on the fabled Italian army rations that came with mini liquor bottles. Packages started zooming around the world. Coveted French and British army rations began landing in U.S. mailboxes, ready to be sampled and reviewed. 
 
 Egyptian combat rations from 1992. (Photo: Natick Soldier Systems Center Photographic Collection/CC BY 3.0) 
 
 Today, most reviewers get their military MREs from other collectors, or buy them on eBay. Some of the companies that supply MREs to the military also sell civilian versions of their meals, but the authentic combat versions are the most sought-after among collectors. 
 
 Technically, U.S. military MREs aren’t supposed to be sold to civilians—the phrase ”Commercial sale is prohibited” is printed on snack packets. “I wouldn’t say it’s strictly illegal to get them,” says Connelly, “but I’d also be remiss if I didn’t say that sometimes MREs didn’t fall off a truck.” Though he knows of “cases where the army’s criminal investigation unit has tracked down eBay auctions to see who’s selling them,” Connelly says it’s rare for MRE collectors to run into trouble over the legality of their hobby. 
 
 This is good news for the small but dedicated bunch of MRE reviewers who post their taste tests on YouTube. This is a relatively new part of the MRE community, having popped up in the last five years. In May 2011, a Brookline, Massachusetts-based man who goes by gschultz9 posted a review of an eight-year-old MRE that he tasted while camping on Cape Cod. Encouraged by the positive response among collectors, he started posting more videos, and hasn’t stopped since. 
 
 An MRE featuring the widely reviled ham-and-chicken loaf entree. (Photo: Natick Soldier Systems Center Photographic Collection/CC BY 3.0) 
 
 Unlike Steve1989, who specializes in eating decades-old army rations while reminding viewers he doesn’t have health insurance, gschultz9 doesn’t aim for daredevilry in his taste tests. “My style isn’t that exciting,” he says, referring to his reviews as “straightforward, informational kind of videos.” He has a theory that “a good chunk” of his audience tunes in because his soothing voice helps put them to sleep. Still, enough people must be watching all the way through—his home is currently filled with MREs from around the world, sent to him by people seeking reviews. 
 
 Though gschultz9 does occasionally taste-test MREs that are over a decade old, ”it hasn’t really been my thing, per se,” he says. “It’s always kind of scary. I actually just did one yesterday that was only eight years old, but it had Pop Tarts in it, and they had this strange white thing on them, I couldn’t figure out if it was crystallized sugar or mold. I decided not to eat more than two bites of it.” 
 
 Rehydrated U.S. army ration entrees from 1979. (Photo: Natick Soldier Systems Center Photographic Collection/CC BY 3.0) 
 
 Usually, it’s pretty easy to tell if a ration pack has gone off. Sometimes all you need to do is look at the packaging. “When an MRE’s been punctured and bacteria’s gotten inside, that sucker swells up pretty bad,” says Connelly. Other times, the realization hits when a reviewer opens a can or package to find black applesauce, sour jam, or M&Ms that have turned to dust. 
 
 The condition of the food often depends on how the MRE was stored over the years, and whether it was knocked around or exposed to extreme temperatures. In a particularly entertaining MREinfo.com review of a 1982 pork patty meal, the taster declared that “the only edible thing I found in this MRE was the salt.” 
 
 (Photo: Natick Soldier Systems Center Photographic Collection/CC BY 3.0) 
 
 Though it’s disappointing to open an MRE and find it’s gone bad, that’s all part of the adventure—and an opportunity to consult the community. Collectors commiserate in YouTube comments and on the MREinfo.com forums, sharing stories of horrid, rancid smells and seeking advice on whether to eat meal components that seem iffy. 
 
 “Everybody’s pretty supportive of each other,” says gschultz9, citing YouTube users Kiwi Dude, gundog4314, and steve1989 as the recently emergent go-to gurus for MRE swaps and advice. “It’s still a very niche thing, obviously,” he says, but the small group is “a very calm, cool community.” 
 
 The appeal of military MREs is still lost on many, however. Connelly notes that he receives “emails saying ‘Why do you have a website about this? I was in the service, and I never want to see one of these things again.’” But to collectors, they are historic packages of combat cuisine just waiting to be unwrapped and tasted. 
 
 Steve1989 sums it up as he struggles to swallow a stale, rancid-smelling World War II cookie: “Why? Why not. This is what we do.” 

 C-Rations circa 1945 Meal, Combat, Individual circa 1975 
 
 The “C-Ration” was first developed just before World War II and was used as the military’s primary “combat” ration until 1958. In 1958, the “Meal, Combat, Individual” officially replaced the C-Ration but the old name stuck. Soldiers didn’t complain about having to eat MCIs – they complained about having to eat “c-rats”. (Check out the 26 year old MCI Fruit Cake Taste Test.) 
 
 Here’s a more lengthy history: 
 
 On 1 November, 1939, the Adjutant General announced the adoption of field ration C. It consisted of 3 cans containing a meat and vegetable component, and 3 cans, containing crackers, sugar, and soluble coffee; it furnished 2974 calories, 114 grams of protein, and an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals. 
 
 C-2 ration 
 
 This updated ration is described as an individual ration which consists of packaged pre cooked foods which can be eaten. hot or cold and it replaced the old C ration. It can be carried and prepared by the individual soldier. The ration was designed for feeding combat troops from a few days to an extreme of three weeks. Due to the required individual portability of this ration, maximum nourishment had to be provided in the smallest physical unit. The components of this ration were prepared in 5 different menus. Each menu includes an accessory packet which consists of essential toilet articles, tobacco, and confections. 
 
 C-3 ration 
 
 The figure “3” in “C-3” represents the third revision of specifications for components of what was known originally as the C ration. This ration is composed of 5 full menus of a greater variety, and in addition to the new and improved B (bread) and M (meat) units, each menu contains an accessory packet, fruit, and cigarettes. The ration weighs 88½ oz., and is packed in 8 small cans; 3 of the cans, 1 for each meal, contain M (meat) components, which offer any one of 10 different varieties of meat; 3 more cans, again, 1 for each meal, include B (bread) components consisting of a unit of .5 crackers and 2 cookie sandwiches, a unit of pre-mixed cereal, jam, crackers, soluble coffee, sugar, cocoa disc, and another unit of crackers and jam. In 
 
 addition, the C-3 contains 1-12 oz. can of fruit, the accessory packet, and cigarettes with matches. Field cooking equipment is not required. for the preparation of this ration. The C-3 ration is more adequate than the original C ration in respect to its nutritional value. 
 
 C-4 ration 
 
 Ration, individual, combat C-4 has been developed recently, and is a modification of the C-3 ration. One modification of the C-3 ration will be the issue of 2-6 oz. cans of fruit for 2 meals to replace the 1-12 oz. can issued for one meal in the C-3. ration. 
 
 Toward the end of the Second World War a soldier’s daily C-rations included two accessory packets. The cigarette packet contained a book of matches plus one pack holding nine cigarettes or three smaller packs of three cigarettes each. During the 1960s C-ration cigarettes were identical to the sample packs of four that tobacco salesreps handed out to the public. Pall Mall, Luckies, Winston, Salem and Benson & Hedges Menthol were five of the brands found in Vietnam era field ration packets. C-ration cigarettes were discontinued in 1972. 
 
 Meal Combat, Individual 
 
 The Meal, Combat, Individual is the first ration which has been adopted to meet the new subsistence concept of supplying nutritionally balanced meals rather than rations. It replaces the Ration, Combat, Individual (C Ration) which was used so extensively in World War II. 
 
 The Meal, Combat, Individual, is designed for issue either in individual units as a meal or in multiples of three as a complete ration. Its characteristics emphasize utility, flexibility of use, and more variety of food components than were included in the Ration, Combat, Individual (C Ration) which it replaces. Twelve different menus are included in the specification. Each menu contains one canned meat item; one canned fruit, bread or dessert item; one B unit; an accessory packet containing cigarettes, matches, chewing gum, toilet paper, coffee, cream, sugar, and salt; and a spoon. Four can openers are provided in each case of 12 meals. Although the meat item can be eaten cold, it is more palatable when heated. 
 
 Each meal furnishes approximately one-third of the minimum nutrient intake prescribed by Army regulations. 
 
 Typical Menus 
 
 Beefsteak Beefsteak & Potatoes w/ Boned Chicken Pears Gravy Bread B-1 Unit Pecan Cake Roll B-3 Unit Crackers (7) B-2 Unit Cookies Candy Disc Crackers (4) Cocoa Beverage Powder Peanut Butter Cheese Spread Jam Accessory packet Accessory packet Accessory packet 
 
 Meals/case: 12 
 
 Weight/case: 25-26 pounds 
 
 Weight/meal (less shipping case): 1.63 pounds 
 
 Cube/case: .8713 cubic feet 
 
 Cube/meal: .052 cubic feet 
 
 Calories/meal: 1200 minimum 
 
 Specification: MIL-M-35048 
 
 From Homestead. 
 
 There were 4 choices of meat in each B group. Because there were several “vintages” of C’s issued to the Marines in Vietnam, more than 4 items may be listed in the B groups as well as the brands of cigarettes included in the accessory 
 
 pack. 
 
 B-1 Units Meat Choices (in small cans): 
 
 Beef Steak 
 
 Ham and Eggs, 
 
 Chopped 
 
 Ham Slices 
 
 Turkey Loaf 
 
 Fruit: 
 
 Applesauce 
 
 Fruit 
 
 Cocktail 
 
 Peaches 
 
 Pears 
 
 Crackers 
 
 (7) 
 
 Peanut 
 
 Butter 
 
 Candy 
 
 Disc, Chocolate 
 
 Solid Chocolate 
 
 Cream 
 
 Coconut 
 
 Accessory 
 
 Pack* B-2 Units Meat Choices (in larger cans): 
 
 Beans 
 
 and Wieners 
 
 Spaghetti and Meatballs 
 
 Beefsteak, Potatoes and Gravy 
 
 Ham and Lima Beans 
 
 Meatballs and Beans 
 
 Crackers 
 
 (4) 
 
 Cheese 
 
 Spread, Processed 
 
 Caraway 
 
 Pimento 
 
 Fruit 
 
 Cake 
 
 Pecan 
 
 Roll 
 
 Pound 
 
 Cake 
 
 Accessory 
 
 Pack* B-3 Units Meat Choices (in small cans): 
 
 Boned 
 
 Chicken 
 
 Chicken and Noodles 
 
 Meat Loaf 
 
 Spiced Beef 
 
 Bread, 
 
 White 
 
 Cookies 
 
 (4) 
 
 Cocoa 
 
 Beverage Powder 
 
 Jam 
 
 Apple 
 
 Berry 
 
 Grape 
 
 Mixed 
 
 Fruit 
 
 Strawberry 
 
 Accessory 
 
 Pack* *Accessory Pack Spoon, Plastic 
 
 Salt 
 
 Pepper 
 
 Coffee, Instant 
 
 Sugar 
 
 Creamer, Non-dairy 
 
 Gum, 2 Chicklets 
 
 Cigarettes, 4 smokes/pack 
 
 Winston 
 
 Marlboro 
 
 Salem 
 
 Pall Mall 
 
 Camel 
 
 Chesterfield 
 
 Kent 
 
 Lucky 
 
 Strike 
 
 Kool 
 
 Matches, Moisture Resistant 
 
 Toilet Paper 
 
 C-Ration: 
 
 Development began in 1938 and was completed between 1941 and 1945. 
 
 Used extensively during World War II. 
 
 Issued as one boxed ration per person per day. 
 
 One case of C-Rations contained 6 rations. 
 
 Each ration was composed of a B-unit and a M-unit; total weight was approximately 7 pounds. 
 
 B-unit: (3) 12 ounce cans of bread, coffee and sugar. 
 
 M-unit: (3) 12 ounce cans of meat and vegetable components. 
 
 Limited menu selection [(3) M-units and (3) B-units]; many of the menus contained beans. 
 
 Intended for limited use but sometimes it was used as the sole source of subsistence for weeks. 
 
 Rarely were all of the components available so substitutions with duplicate components were common. This exacerbated menu fatigue. 
 
 Menus were expanded in 1944 to include (10) M-units and (6) B-units. 
 
 Surplus C-Rations were used in both Korea and Vietnam. 
 
 Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI): 

 The latest foodie trend come not from the kitchen, but from the battlefields dating back to World War II, as YouTubers collect, sample and review the packaged military meals known more for shelf life than flavor profile. 
 
 Known as K-Rations and Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), the military surplus dinners have become hot collector’s items, selling on eBay for anywhere from $5 to more than $100, depending on their vintage. The market includes enthusiasts who record themselves breaking open the dinners and eating them on video. 
 
 “Oh man, those smell awful,” Steve1989 said in a video he posted where he reviews a tin of unopened Canadian Army rations from World War II. “Ugh, they smell rancid,” he added as he opened up a foil wrapper containing a dozen 71-year-old biscuits. 
 
 “When you open that can it’s a feeling of wonder and curiosity. Rations even have their own unique smell.” - Kinton Connelly, MREinfo.com 
 
 People like Steve1989 are part of a growing online community of ration reviewers, trading, tasting and reviewing rations, according to Atlas Obscura. 
 
 “Why?" he asks later, anticipating the obvious question. "Why not? This is what we do, I guess. I feel bad for any of the guys that had to eat this back then. I can’t imagine then being much better [than] now.” 
 
 While freeze-dried and vaccuum-sealed meals have become a trend in the prepper community, the most sought-after consumables for the ration-reviewing crowd are military-grade. Snagging a combat-approved MRE is part of the thrill of the hunt for these enthusiasts. 
 
 “You eat your first 8-year-old, or even older, MRE and realize the history behind them,” Kinton Connelly, who runs MREinfo.com, a forum for the collector community, told Foxnews.com. “When you open that can it’s a feeling of wonder and curiosity. Rations even have their own unique smell.” 
 
 Connelly started the website in 2003 after discovering that there wasn’t much information available on rations. 
 
 Related Image Expand / Contract A long range patrol food packet from the late 1970s containing Ham and Chicken Loaf. (Natick Soldier Systems Center Photographic Collection) 
 
 “I started to look into MRE and rations around Y2K,” He said. “I had always been fascinated by them, but I soon found out there wasn’t a whole lot of information out there. It was scattered bits here and there.” 
 
 In addition to posting YouTube videos, many of the collectors visit Connelly’s site and forum as it has become the go-to place to swap meals and share advice since he launched it. 
 
 “The response was positive,” Connelly said of when the site was started. “People from all over the world started signing up which enabled people here to trade U.S. rations for ones from other countries.” 
 
 Related Image Expand / Contract A Spaghetti with Meat Sauce MRE ration. (Natick Soldier Systems Center Photographic Collection) 
 
 Popular among American collectors are Italian army rations, which come with airplane-style miniature bottles of liquor. Also popular in the U.S. are French and British army rations. 
 
 The condition of the food in the MREs varies. Even in sealed packages made for war, time and extreme temperature can cause it to spoil. 
 
 “There are some people who can take it to extremes,” Connelly said, referring to enthusiasts who sample the older rations. “You can tell when something has gone bad when you open it. But many of these MREs can last at least 12-15 years if stored right.” 
 
 “It can happen, but you don’t hear of too many people getting sick.” 
 
 Spoiled food aside, part of the enthusiasm for the collectors lies in opening up the rations to take a look inside. 
 
 “They open it because they are curious,” Connelly said. 
 
 Perry Chiaramonte is a reporter for FoxNews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @perrych
– Why would anyone chow down on biscuits and chocolate produced and packaged in 1945 for soldiers fighting WWII? "Why not?" says YouTuber Steve1989. "This is what we do … I guess." Steve, last name withheld, is part of a small community of collectors (and tasters) of military rations called meals ready to eat (MREs), according to Atlas Obscura. (As for the taste of the septuagenarian cookies, of which he ate five, Steve says in his YouTube video: "That's pretty disgusting.") No matter their age, Atlas Obscura notes, "MREs are not known for their gourmet flavors." They generally contain an entrée, side, dessert, and snacks, along with utensils, drink mixes, and a heating device. (Vintage rations often included cigarettes, while some old Italian MREs came with a mini bottle of booze.) There wasn't much of an MRE scene until 2003, when Kinton Connelly launched a website for himself and fellow enthusiasts. The North Carolina resident got into MREs in 1999 during preparation frenzy for the Y2K disaster that never materialized. "I’d seen them at various shows and army surplus stores," he tells Atlas Obscura. Y2K came and went, but Connelly's fascination with MREs grew. "When you open that can it’s a feeling of wonder and curiosity," he tells FOX News. "Rations even have their own unique smell.” These days, like-minded MRE enthusiasts—think former service members, preppers, people who got hooked watching YouTube taste tests—trade military rations, or buy them on eBay. US military rations aren't technically supposed to be sold to civilians, Connelly tells Atlas Obscura, but he says it's rare for MRE traders to get in trouble.