Survival food kit scam? Online creator sparks debate on emergency preparedness

Emergency food kits have become ever so popular after the pandemic. With several billionaires building bunkers, commoners are resorting to some kind of preparedness for emergencies and food kits are one easy option. However, according to one TikTok creator, Yodie (@yodietv), emergency food kits are nothing but a scam. In his review video of a food kit from Readywise, a popular long-term survival food company, the creator shows how the products are a scam.

Are Readywise Food Kits a Scam?

In the video, which now has over 1.6 million views, Yodie says that he thinks the entire emergency food industry is a scam while holding a food kit from Readywise in his hands. “They are playing off emotions,” the creator says. He goes on to open the box saying that most people won’t open it until an emergency situation. However, since Yodie was curious to know, he opened the bucket to check. 

 He then goes out to pull the golden and white packaged food bags out of the bucket. “It says servings, but this is it,” the creator says while taking out all the bags from the bucket. He goes on to say that there is no way the food is worth $150 and people can get much more food for that price. He ends the video by showing a glimpse of the bucket reiterating that it is not worth $150. 

While Yodie seemed to make a good point, most of his viewers didn’t agree with him. Several users suggested that customers aren’t paying for the quantity of the food but the longevity of it. According to Readywise’s website, the survival food kit has a shelf life of 25 years, and the company accepts returns if the food doesn’t taste as good after 25 years. “You're not buying it for the servings you are buying it for the life expectancy of the food,” wrote @aboytoaman. 

Several others thought the bucket was worth it as that amount of food would serve greatly during an emergency. Some even argued that the food needs to be rehydrated to give it volume. “Something tells me during an emergency when you're feeding your family when there's nothing out there. You'll be saying damn that was worth every penny,” wrote user @timdan70. 

However, the creator did not seem to be convinced and made part 2 of the video showing that the quantity of the food isn’t much even after rehydration and cooking. 

Are Emergency Food Kits Worth It?

According to a Business Insider review of emergency food kits, they might be worth it. The report suggested that even a smaller stash of emergency meals could be good to have, for people who live in places that are prone to natural disasters and geopolitical conflicts. Looking at the current geopolitical unrest and frequency of large-scale natural disasters, these kits can come in handy. 

However, food experts from Food Assets have argued that kits aren’t worth the hype. For reasons such as poor nutrition, excessive salt, sugar, and fillers, and ultra-processed nature of the food, they do not recommend buying emergency food kits, like the TikTok creator. 

For more such tips and lifestyle & entertainment content, follow Yodie (@yodietv) on TikTok.