Now more than ever, Americans have an abundance of food options. In a typical grocery store, you’ll find over 50,000 options on average! But when it comes to long-term food storage some people opt for long-term food suppliers over the typical grocery store. The vast amount of options can be confusing and you can end up spending too much if you’re not careful. What’s the real difference between grocery stores and long-term food suppliers? There are several key things that you will need to look out for when it comes to maximizing the shelf-life of your stored food. Keep reading for the details you need.

Stock Up On Food That is Moisture-Resistant

Foods like peanut butter and honey are well-known for lasting long beyond their expiration date. However, the three main enemies of long-term food storage are oxygen, moisture, pests, and sunlight. Even foods that have long expiration dates can end up moldy if not stored properly. This is why we recommend you look for packaged food that has been dehydrated or freeze-dried to add to your long-term food storage. Dehydrated food has had the moisture content removed with evaporation. Freeze-dried food is a bit more modern, being frozen and vacuum-sealed. This way, there is no liquid but is directly formed into vapor. Be careful before consuming these foods, though - because no food is completely impenetrable to that pesky moisture, and the last thing you need when you’re in survival mode is to eat moldy food.

Look For Food that Protects Itself From Oxygen

The easiest way to do this is to find food that contains these amazing little inventions called oxygen absorbers. These are small pouches filled with iron powder that will soak up oxygen inside of a sealed package. With these added to your freeze-dried and dehydrated foods, they can gain a year or even more of an extra shelf-life. So be sure to not remove them - you might be surprised at how many people do!

Grocery Store vs. Long-Term Food Suppliers

Unsurprisingly, the main thing that is missing when comparing food from long-term suppliers to items on the grocery shelves is that the grocer products are missing oxygen absorbers. Another subtle yet highly effective aspect of long-term food storage is that packages tend to be made of materials that help prevent moisture, prolonging shelf-life. Grocery store products don’t have these, with packaging that tends to be made from paper.

Layers of Protection

Even with the above long-term food storage items, pests, moisture and oxygen can still make its way through. This is why you’ll see long-term food storage packages for military personnel using multiple layers of protection that allow only 2% of moisture. Simply put, the more layers of protection in your food, the longer it will last. Naturally, the more precautions a food company takes to make these, the higher the cost. But this is what preppers look for when stocking their pantry for years to come.

We Make it Easy

While it’s possible to find food that meets the above criteria to stock in your pantry, it’s not easy. Want to skip the grocery store and have long-term food shipped directly to you? Consider ordering long-term food storage from More Prepared. All of our food has a 25-year shelf life and free shipping. Happy prepping, and stay safe!