Whether you live in a hurricane zone, or you're worried about nuclear bomb threats — or you just don’t want to go grocery shopping for an entire year — Costco’s got you covered.
The buy-in-bulk warehouse store sells a 1-year emergency food kit that comes with 6,200 servings of food. According to the product’s description, it can provide enough meals for 1,200 calories per day for one adult for a year and has a 25-year shelf life.
From the brand Nutristore, a budget, shelf-stable food storage company, the kit features grains, dairy and freeze-dried and dehydrated fruits and vegetables. Items include cans of red wheat, instant rice, dehydrated apples, freeze-dried sweet corn, lentils, chicken and beef. There’s also sugar and salt because taste is important ... even during the apocalypse.
Customer reviews of the meal kit date back to two years ago with mixed feelings. One five-star review praised its reasonable price and decent assortment. Another gave it only one-star because some of the cans came damaged.
But none of the reviews appear to mention how the food actually tastes — which is a good thing since it means no one has found themselves in a major disaster, yet. But one customer commented that it would have been nice if there was a recipe book that came along with the package. We’re not sure how much you’ll really be worried about cooking if the world is coming to an end, but we supposed a few recipes wouldn't hurt.
A representative for Costco confirmed to TODAY Food that the superstore has been selling the kit for three years, but it's been brought into spotlight this weekend after The Detroit Free Press featured it in the article, “Seeking to Survive a Disaster?” in light of recent tragic events like Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria which decimated parts of Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
"The idea came about making a great starter kit for a family who wanted to prepare for any kind of disaster,” a representative from Costco told the paper. “This is a great value with shipping included."
The company declined to give out specific sales data for the product, but there must be a demand out there considering they also sell an even bigger kit: Nutristore’s premium emergency food kit retails for$6,000.
"We have had the emergency food category for over 10 years," the Costco rep added to TODAY. "This [the $1,000 kit] is one of our top selling items right now."
Of course, if you’re more of a minimalist when it comes to disaster preparedness, they’ve got smaller kits available, too.
A one-month supply, aptly called The ARK 390 by Chef’s Banquet, is full of just-add-water culinary treats such as Cheddar Cheese Grits with Green Chilies, Rice & Orzo Pilaf and Creamy Mashed Potatoes. And it retails for just $99.