Customer Reviews

2400 Calorie ER Bar - Emergency Food Ration (4 Pack)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My ER food bars came as one large bar per package, with scores for cutting it into 6 pieces, so you must be prepared to store the parts (or feed 6 people at once). It seems to indicate there's some sort of subpackaging into 400 calory units, but mine isn't like that.

It is quite edible, much better than most of the food bars I've tried, so it would be easy to eat a whole bar in a day or two, and not be hungry.

Keeping in mind that this is an emergency food and not a food storage item, it's actually quite good.

How is the packaging?
The packaging is fairly sturdy and has a resealable top. It is vacuum sealed, so make sure you don't puncture it, otherwise the shelf life will be drastically reduced.

Is it easy to eat?
As mentioned in other reviews, the block is not separately packaged into 6 individual units. Instead, the block has indents separating the sections, which can easily be broken by bending the package. The foodstuff itself is a light yellow, and really doesn't feel all that much different from a thick blondie. Biting into it does reveal a crumbly side, but it's not overly thick, nor is it difficult to bite or chew through. In fact, nothing about the eating process made it seem all that weird. Because the food doesn't feel too heavy, if you underestimate it and eat it too fast, the effects of its high calorie density might make you feel a little queezy. Eat slowly!

How does it taste?
The product has a very mild lemon flavor to it. Considering how much fat it has, you might think it tastes horrid. On the contrary, while you might not finish it and say it was the best lemon bar you've ever eaten it, you won't cough it up and think its disgusting. Besides, in the right conditions, anything will taste amazing.

Thirst Prevention: I sampled this item after about 22 hours of no food or drink. The product is high in fats and oils, which does in fact make it less thirst producing. After I was done eating, I did not feel much thirstier than when I started. That is not to say, however, that the desire to drink did not come simply as a result of having something pasty in the mouth and throat.

Is it safe or healthy to eat?
So I finished my graduate degree in nutrition at one of those fancy IVY league schools, but I'll be the first to say I don't know everything. In regards to this product however, keep in mind that it is an emergency food and is not designed to sustain you for long periods of time. There is a very high fat value, which is a great source of calories. In an emergency this is great, but over the long haul, the body will respond negatively to the imbalance of carbs, proteins and fats.

Contrary to popular belief, not all saturated fats are that bad for you. Palm oil, the major source of fat in this product, is comprised mostly of oleic, linoleic and palmitic fatty acids. Myristic acid is the one that is most bad for you, and seems mostly absent. So, while eating tons of calories in the form of fat is unhealthy in the long run, you don't have to freak out simply because each serving is 45% of your daily saturated fat allowance.

What about them vitamins?
The addition of vitamins is an interesting idea. In the short term, (3 days or so) the human body will experience very few, if any, vitamin deficiencies. The main priority is to obtain enough calories, and then protein, in order to reduce the degrading your own body for energy. That being said, this food is a great tool in rescue operations, as those who have been lost and on their own for some time may have easily developed vitamin deficiencies during that time. So, while it's nice to have, the fortification of these nutrients plays a minimal role in an emergency situation where you plan to use this product for only three to four days.

Overall this product is great. I have also performed nutrient analyses on other emergency foods, but I won't include them here. If you're interested, I'm sure you can contact me somehow via amazon.

Crumbly but okay tasting. Good enough to eat, but not so good you would be tempted to snack on them in a non-emergency. So just right.

The ones you get may already be a year or so old, so plan on replacing them every 3 or so years (if you can remember).

The ration is not in six bars, or if it was it was fused all together, so you may have to cut it somehow or use a hammer. Just a touch of lemon but not so much as to overpower anything you may wish to add to it, like berries or nuts. Check the use by date the second you get it and be prepared to replace in three or four years.

They are very good for earthquakes but one only complaint I have is they taste really bad, like stale, dry shortcake. I keep these for emergencies only, not for everyday consumption, nor do I think that would be too heathy. The shelf life is 5 years. I was shocked when seeing the price on this for when I bought it it was only $2!
Overall I like them. but I rated only 4 stars because of the taste...