This is a "heads up" advisory on commercially prepared "emergency" food stores.
I'm reading several reports which note a variation in the package marking for the number of "Servings" in each container.
The problem (whether real or not) is that the number of servings is higher than can be realistically expected based on calorie and nutrition numbers.
Yes, it sells more product because the unaware will buy based on the claimed number of servings in a container. Reality may come back to bite them when they actually need to live on those meals.
What can you do?
First: Assume that the calorie count on a package is correct. There are some fairly stringent laws about this which tend to make this number more trustworthy... Note I do no say absolutely truthful, just somewhat more trustworthy.
Second: Learn what the "recommended" daily calorie count means (do some research). For example, there are sources (government research and private research) which give numbers from 1000 to 5000 calories per day per person. The wide range IS VALID, because it depends on how much physical activity is required by each person.
So, you will do some simple division (math, I know, but grin and thank your grade school teacher for pushing your to learn math). Find the total calorie count for a food package, then divide that number by 1000 to get the SERVINGS FOR LOW PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.
Then divide the same calorie count by 5000 to the the SERVINGS FOR HIGH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.
REMEMBER: you may not be doing HIGH physical activity, but if you are in a cold climate, you need more calories just to stay warm while hunkered down.
You have two numbers now.
LOW ACTIVITY SERVINGS PER PACKAGE = xx
HIGH ACTIVITY SERVINGS PER PACKAGE = yy
Compare these numbers to the serving count on the package label. How realistic are the package label serving count?
DO NOTE, not all "emergency" food labels show an attempt to inflate the serving count, but there have been reports on SOME labels. I'm deliberately NOT naming brands because I don't want to be accused of defaming a brand... They have lawyers who make more than I do...
Some labels will even tell you exactly what number of calories per day is used to calculate the serving count. Check their math yourself. (Got Calculator? Got Pencil and Paper?)
The point of this is that you don't want to be stuck in your BOL, unable to replenish food stock during a hard winter, only to discover that you ran out of food before the end of the winter or before you can safely get outside to find more food.
Plan for the worst case situation:
HIGH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
COLD WEATHER
LONG TERM RELIANCE ON STORED FOOD STOCK
Also remember that the calorie count per person per day will vary for each person, for each gender and for age.
NO, this is not an exact and guaranteed way to judge your food stocks, but it will help you ration your food and stay alive longer. It will also help you decide how much food to purchase NOW, while it is available.
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