In recent times, the American warehouse chain store Costco, known for selling large packaging of affordable and quality food items and daily groceries, has caught the attention of consumers. While Costco typically offers unique or unexpected products, a recent large bucket of freeze-dried food has sparked interest.
A member recently shared on social media about Costco selling a so-called “apocalypse food bucket” that can last for 25 years without spoiling, causing this food bucket to go viral online and attracting media attention.
This emergency food bucket is primarily aimed at individuals looking to stock up on food in case of local natural disasters. Some media outlets describe the large bucket of food as Costco’s way of ensuring that members have something to eat in the face of major disasters or even alien invasions.
Introducing the emergency food bucket produced by ReadyWise Company, Costco emphasized the crucial role that this product series plays in emergency preparedness in an unpredictable world. Imagining sudden severe weather, unexpected job changes leading to difficulties, or facing unsettling food scarcity issues, having a reliable food source can make a significant difference.
Inside this bucket of emergency food, there are 150 servings of freeze-dried food with a shelf life of 25 years, totaling 25,280 calories. Costco stated that ReadyWise provides emergency food buckets containing 80 servings of hearty main dishes and sides, 30 servings of nutritious breakfasts, and 40 servings of beverages. The food items include teriyaki rice, pasta, potato soup, and apple cinnamon oatmeal as freeze-dried options. The beverages range from “whey milk alternative” to “orange juice drink mix”.
Currently, there is a $20 discount, selling for $79.99 until July 28th.
Costco member and owner of “Pressure Luck Cooking”, Jeffrey Eisner, showcased Costco’s emergency food supply bucket on his Instagram account, sparking discussions among netizens. “Pressure Luck Cooking” is a popular easy-to-follow recipe website founded by Eisner.
Eisner showcased the Costco emergency food bucket, which contains 132 servings of freeze-dried food, differing slightly from the amount offered in the food buckets sold online by Costco (online sales offer 150 servings).
This video, released on June 30th, has garnered over 2 million views to date.
One Instagram user commented, “Don’t you store emergency food? This is for preparing for sudden disasters – earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, quarantines, etc.”
Another user jokingly mentioned needing to renew their Costco membership now, stating, “Because if doomsday comes, I am heading to Costco.”
However, there were dissenting opinions from users expressing concerns about the emergency food bucket potentially containing a high amount of preservatives.
All items within the “apocalypse food bucket” are freeze-dried and dehydrated foods that require water to be added to turn them into delicious dishes. Therefore, skeptical users questioned where fresh water would come from in times of disasters and if there would be electricity or gas available to heat up the food.
During an interview with “Today”, Eisner reflected on the feedback he received from the video, expressing astonishment at the high number of viewers.
“Is it a bad thing to have something like this at home?” he questioned, “I believe having it is better than not having it at all.”
Eisner eventually purchased the emergency food bucket for himself.
In addition to this durable food option, Costco also provides similar products, including Chef’s Banquet food intended for one month, consisting of 380 servings, priced at $189.99, and a full pallet of 36 Readywise emergency food buckets for $2,500, offering a total of 5,400 servings.