I've noticed a lot of people getting upset with the service they are receiving from some companies. I've also noticed people looking for other alternative suppliers to help with the incredible demand. We have been food storage distributors with Perma Pak for over 11 Years and would be glad to help. We still have food and are shipping within 4 weeks. Perma Pak is known in the Industry for the high quality products they offer. Yes, there is a difference! If you would like more information please email me at: permapak@iname.com or visit our site at: http://www.itsnet.com/~skelling/permapak.htm

-- Food Storage Solutions (permapak@iname.com), August 23, 1998

Answers

This is true. I ordered on 7/6. Food was shipped 8/6. All tucked away in a cool dry place. I feel so much better, now!!!

Hull

-- hull stetson (stetson.hull@usa.net), August 23, 1998.

My food arrived today and I feel great! I just recommend that others get their food storage together soon. I can't begin to tell you the relief one feels when your food arrives at you door

Thanks again Ed

-- Ed (y2knut@usa.net), September 25, 1998.

Can you tell me how soon you're shipping now?

-- Jordan (none@none.com), September 28, 1998.

Perma Pak is now shipping at about the 5-6 week mark. We have slowed a little due to the huge increases in food orders, but we are still on top of things, and are still able secure top quality foods and keep you supplied. However, this could change at any minute with increased awareness of Y2K. Don't wait to secure your food storage, order now! http://www.itsnet.com/~skelling/permapak.htm

-- Food Storage Solutions (permapak@iname.com), September 29, 1998.

It's gratifying to find a concern that's forthright about its ability to fulfill its obligations. However... why is it necessary to go anywhere but the supermarket for your food for storage? It's all there - rice, beans, dehydrated soup, canned goods, lemonade mix, Tang, vitamins, tea, coffee, on and on and on... If you fall into the category of people who (as I am) are slightly less than 100% convinced that you'll really need a year of stored food, but still want insurance, you'll stock up on things you'll want to eat anyway. That way, you can rotate your food to keep it fresh, and if Y2K fizzles, you'll be free of grocery bills for many months! Show me the downside to doing it this way!

-- Ned (politely@decline.com), September 30, 1998.

Actually, what your doing is great! I really think it is wise to stock up on the things you normally use. I do that myself as well. Perma Pak has been around for a long time, and Y2K is not the only reason to get prepared (although it's a very important one). We feel like the type of food storage we offer is the best designed program for long term storage on the market. I, and many others, just like knowing that if the foods we are rotating run out, or in the event that a particular disaster lasts longer than we hope, we have Perma Pak to rely on as a safe and durable backup. For some of us it is physically impossible to store all the normal foods we are used to eating if we wish to have at least a year supply on hand. Perma Pak reduces the space requirement for food storage by up to 80%, which makes it feasible to store a large quantity of food in a small area. Just a few reasons why we feel it's a great backup to whatever else you are doing.

We wish the best to all regardless of how you acquire your food storage. We just hope that you do, and don't wait to much longer!

It's gratifying to find a concern that's forthright about its ability to fulfill its obligations. However... why is it necessary to go anywhere but the supermarket for your food for storage? It's all there - rice, beans, dehydrated soup, canned goods, lemonade mix, Tang, vitamins, tea, coffee, on and on and on... If you fall into the category of people who (as I am) are slightly less than 100% convinced that you'll really need a year of stored food, but still want insurance, you'll stock up on things you'll want to eat anyway. That way, you can rotate your food to keep it fresh, and if Y2K fizzles, you'll be free of grocery bills for many months! Show me the downside to doing it this way!

-- Food Storage Solutions (permapak@iname.com), September 30, 1998.

How long will this Food Last if it is stored for a long time?

-- Karen (question@toask.com), September 30, 1998.

Third party testing has proved our foods have stored for 20+ years, and tested with nutrition and taste still excellent. It is also true that I have personally tasted some of Perma Paks foods that were that old, which were fine, we normally suggest customers rotate their food around the 12-15 year mark, preferring to be on the conservative side. Much of the food's storage life will depend on your storing it in as cool a place as possible.

-- Food Storage Solutions (permapak@iname.com), September 30, 1998.

Some of the companies claim that there is no difference between the dehydrated food storage they have, and the dehydrated food storage you have. Is there really any difference between the various comapanies? If so, what?

-- Davis (more@questions.com), October 01, 1998.

QUALITY- COMMITMENT-SERVICE When you purchase Perma-Pak brand food storage, you can count on quality commitment and service. Some folks say all food storage is the same. They claim it's packed by the same cannery and comes from the same identical sources. They say the only real difference is the name and the price. The wise buyer needs to know: "Is there a difference between Perma-Pak brand foods and other food storage products?" Please carefully consider the following: SUPPLIER OPTIONS When a company decides to enter the food storage marketplace there are many different sources from which to buy. A recent count revealed over 400 different companies nationwide which dehydrate foods in bulk for a wide variety of purposes including food storage, or supply the very items used in our food units. Now, realistically, what does logic say? With that many companies in the business, wouldn't quality vary greatly? Of course it would! Just look at the difference in quality you get from 4 or 5 suppliers of items you buy in the marketplace--things like pizza, ice cream, chips, fresh produce, laundry soap, shampoo, etc. Those 400 companies also have varying grades of products. Some grades are higher quality while others are lower. The cannery Perma-Pak brand Food Storage is also a major dehydrator of some fruit products. Several methods of processing some of the fruits are so unique they have been patented by the U.S. Patent Office. We have no desire to run down any competitor by saying the products they are using are inferior but with over 400 different sources of supply, what are the chances their products are identical'? With Perma-Pak brand food you can rest on a 44 year reputation that the quality is excellent. Cans bearing the Perma-Pak label have been canned utilizing only top quality foods!

PRODUCT SELECTION AND EVALUATION It's important to know how products are selected for Perma-Pak food storage. Whenever products are considered, careful evaluation is made of the source of supply. Samples are requested. Those samples are carefully checked, tested and analyzed to make sure they meet a strong set of established criteria. If they pass the test, the shipment is ordered. After the product has arrived, it's once again checked. If the shipment doesn't meet or exceed the specifications of the original product, it's sent back. In one year alone, 12 truckloads of product were returned as inferior. Sometimes a product become totally unavailable for even months while acceptable product could be found. To the untrained eye those inferior products usually appeared fine. It was only through closer examination that flaws were found. Flaws such as high moisture content. Poor quality. Scorched milk. Vegetables that were too unripe or mature when picked causing poor re- hydration and taste. Rice with too much polish which foamed during cooking. Grains, vegetables, and other products with stems, leaves, dirt clods, rocks and even bugs, ... and the list goes on! Many times these poor products are returned to the market only to be resold to other users and tucked away in cans, never to be discovered until years later. What happens if a company doesn't have the expertise or personnel to check for these types of problems in products? It's simple! The problem products are canned!

QUALITY CONTROL TEAM The Perma-Pak cannery is also one of the leading national dehydrators of fruit and processes large amounts for companies such as Pillsbury, Quaker Oats, Heinz, Kellogg's and many others. Perma- Pak brand food products are only a small portion of their yearly volume. Because of their other major accounts, there's the advantage of being able to have the expertise of a state-of--the-art canning facility and a whole team of quality control technicians (9+). Many small canneries have no quality control technicians. You might ask, "Why would I care how many quality control technicians a company has'?" The answer is obvious! It's those quality control technicians which refused the twelve truckloads of bulk material, mentioned earlier, that would not pass their inspection. Twelve truck-loads of product during one single year is a lot of dehydrated food! If tests were not conducted by trained quality control technicians, this merchandise would have been canned, sold, and stored by people who were relying on it for their storage needs.

QUALITY CANNING Even if all products were the same, there is something even more important to consider: Quality Canning. Dehydrated foods ire often canned in sealed containers from which most of the residual oxygen has been removed and replaced with nitrogen. Newer technology also adds oxygen absorbing packets. When canned in this way, most foods sustain higher levels of vitamin stability than is possible with other canning methods. In 1979 tests were run on various brands of food storage. In many products, the nitrogen was leaking out of the cans, after canning. This was true of all of the companies tested, including some of the Perma-Pak foods. The quality control technicians devised methods whereby this problem could be eliminated. We know of no other company in the industry that has devised these tests and made these adjustments in their canning procedures. Recent tests indicate the problem still exists with other companies. To insure that the canning continues to be done properly, many cans daily are run through several rigorous tests to insure that the canning seal is totally intact. In addition, products are saved for evaluation at a later date. When the foods are canned, special gauges are maintained on the nitrogen chamber. Not all products are packed with the same amount of nitrogen- Tests are made on a frequent basis to insure the nitrogen canning process is working effectively. This testing is often done on one out of every 20 cases. In addition, an engineer completely 'tears down' some cans after the canning process is complete and carefully evaluates them with a micrometer. There are other tests, as well, to insure the process is being done property. If a problem is discovered, the line is stopped, machinery adjusted and affected products re-canned. Technical specialists state that it these checks, tests and evaluations were not made, it would probably take only one day before a canning defect would start to occur. (see test results on back) Every can of merchandise bears two dates. One is the canning date, the other is the date it entered our shipping warehouses. When raw products are received, they are canned as quickly as possible. Every effort is made to make sure you are getting totally fresh food that has not sat on the bottom of a pile in a warehouse.

METAL DETECTION Small pieces of metal have always been a problem in food processing. When Perma-Pak brand products are canned, the food is subjected to two separate and different types of metal detection. One device detects metal with a magnet. The second device detects metal that is non-magnetic such as aluminum. When small pieces of metal are detected, the line is totally shut down and the affected product discarded. Most of this metal would not be noticed by visual observation.

QUALITY GUARANTEE If, upon opening a Perma-Pak brand dehydrated food storage item, you find that the product was not processed or packaged properly, your item will be cheerfully replaced. No foods last forever; that technology doesn't exist. What you can expect is the highest quality foods, canned in the best facilities, ensuring the longest shelf life of any food storage items available. Because all food items deteriorate over time, item that show only tile effects of age cannot be replaced. This quality guarantee applies to every Perma-Pak product you buy. No representatives or authorized distributors of Perma-Pak products are permitted to restrict or expand the terms of this guarantee.

RESEARCH SHOWS Ongoing research is very important in any business because products need to be constantly evaluated. In the past 12 years there has been a substantial investment towards product research. Some products we used to put in our year supplies are no longer packaged because of poor storage life, food break down, etc. Most companies are still canning these items.

-- Food Storage Solutions (permapak@iname.com), October 01, 1998.

I have one more question. Don't the other companies buy their food storage supplies from the same suppliers & canners that you do?

-- Davis (more@questions.com), October 01, 1998.

Our food is all canned in Sebastopol, Ca., by Vacu-Dry, the corporation that owns the Perma Pak brand label. We traditionally refer to our company by the Perma Pak label, as a more familiar name. Vacu-Dry actually dries all of their own fruits. The other products are obtained from long standing contracts they have with dryers of other food selections. These contracts are all based on the same quality standards Vacu-Dry maintains for the drying of their own fruits. There are over 400 companies in the United States that specialize in the drying of food. Some of them are excellent, and some are not. That is why Perma Pak's experience, long standing corporate relationships, and iron clad contracts really protects the Perma Pak customer. In those instances where products were received that did not met those standards, the shipment was immediately rejected and returned to the supplier. We assume those foods were then resold and canned by other canners of low moisture foods. In any case, Vacu-Dry does all of their own canning, trusting only their own procedures. Vacu-Dry Does not can for any other dehydrated food storage supplier.

-- Food Storage Solutions (permapak@iname.com), October 02, 1998.

Thanks, but now I have one more question. If Vacu-Dry does the canning could I buy direct from them?

-- Davis (more@questions.com)), October 02, 1998.

My God, I've stumbled into an infomercial!

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), October 02, 1998.

Our food is all canned in Sebastopol, Ca., by Vacu-Dry, the corporation that owns the Perma Pak brand label. We traditionally refer to our company by the Perma Pak label, as a more familiar name. However, all Perma Pak foods are sold through Independant Distributors like ourselves.

http://www.itsnet.com/~skelling/permapak.htm

-- Food Storage Solutions (permapak@iname.com), October 03, 1998.

Testing

-- Test (Just@test.com), October 04, 1998.

Do you folks carry the oxygen absorbers to put in buckets or cans to remove oxygen?

-- Michelle T. (abs@absorber.com), October 05, 1998.

i thought this was NOT supposed to be a commercial based site for people trying to sell their products. I agree with the dude above, HELP IVE GOTTEN IN HERE AND CANNOT GET OUT. THIS IS INSANITY..;.. Isure hope they check these forums on occasion and delete this one.

-- thisisterrible (unknown@aol.com), October 05, 1998.

Sorry,

But we don't carry oxygen absorbers.

-- Food Storage Solutions (permapak@iname.com), October 06, 1998.

I found the information here very helpful. I'm trying to decide what I want to do with my food storage, and am having difficulty getting the answers to my questions. I need as much information as I can get, not less. Thanks

-- Gavin T. (dontwant@togive.com), October 07, 1998.

Thanks Gavin,

If we can help with anymore questions, or if you would like to visit our site at http://www.itsnet.com/~skelling we'd be glad to help!

-- Food Storage Solutions (permapak@iname.com), October 08, 1998.

Are the foods that Perma Pak has dehydrated or Freeze dried?

Kev

-- Kevin Turpen (kt@bell.eu.ts.net), October 10, 1998.

Just got done with an appointment at the local LDS cannery (many, many thanks to those folks- they're great!). I got the products I canned from the local Gigantic Wholesale Bulk Warehouse (insert your own local brand name) and from a restaurant/grocery wholesaler (hint: look in the Yellow Pages under Grocers- Wholesale to see if there's one near you). The dry products I canned this trip(black beans, pinto beans, baby limas, blackeyed peas, lentils, rice, popcorn, potato pearls, shredded potatoes, egg noodles, macaroni, salt, sugar) are all nitrogen packed with oxygen absorbers added, in enameled #10 cans. This half- day effort (actual canning, not counting gathering the products) left me with over 500 pounds of canned foods at what I consider to be an awesomely reasonable price, packaged as well as any commercial product as far as I can tell. I got Tang, Gatorade mix, olive oil, shortening, yeast and honey in adequate quantity as well but none of these products require repackaging.

I have an order on the way from Perma Pak also, to fill in the gaps (powdered milk, cheese, eggs, some other veggies and some fruits) as well as several hundred pounds of wheat in buckets. I either didn't want to tackle canning powdery stuff or didn't have access to the other products I ordered commercially packaged. I chose Perma Pak because they came highly recommended from several people who have had and used home food storage programs for years. I decided to do what I could near home because buying and shipping commercially prepared products is expensive and money is not exactly abundant around here.

Making a decision on how to obtain long term storable food is tough and a reasonable amount of information is helpful in getting it done. Hope this helps- don't put it off, time is flying!

nemo@deepsix.com

-- nemo (nemo@deepsix.com), October 10, 1998.

Perma Pak foods are dehydrated!

Low moisture foods have a longer shelf life than any other "cost effective" method of food storage. Canned goods may seem like a good idea, but they actually lose 25-40% of their nutritional value from harvest through the first year. It would be extremely difficult to maintain a healthy diet if you had to rely on canned goods for an extended period of time.

Low Moisture Foods actually save you space. One can of low moisture Diced Carrots equals up to 16 cans of regular wet pack diced carrots. Even more suprising, one can of Perma Pak Applesauce is the equivalent of 29 one pound cans of regular wet pack applesauce!

-- Food Storage Solutions (permapak@iname.com), October 12, 1998.

I got my order today! Hurray!!

-- Terrie (don't@give.com), October 15, 1998.

Got mine today too. Nine months late! Tried some of the product, taste like crap i would rather starve. Looks like i will since most broke open in shipping. Should have used that 5000 dollars for a year of food and gone to the supermarket and spend 800 dollars for a year of good food.

-- smith (paranoid@ofgov.com), October 15, 1998.

Good thing we have such a great guarantee! Mr. Smith your covered!!

Perma-Pak Quality Guarantee If, when you open a Perma-Pak brand dehydrated food storage item, you find that our product was not processed or packaged properly at the time of packing, we will cheerfully replace the item. Because all food items deteriorate over time, we cannot replace items that show only the effects of age. This quality guarantee applies to every Perma-Pak product you buy. No representative of Perma-Pak products is permitted to restrict or expand the terms of this guarantee.

-- Food Storage Solutions (permapak@iname.com), October 16, 1998.

Who cares if the canned goods lose some of their nutritional value?? Do canned goods hane any nutritional value to begin with? I'll be eating to stay alive, along with a daily does of vitamins.

-- Dave (dave22@concentric.net), October 16, 1998.

Dave you are wise to stock up on vitamins! It would certainly be foolish not to add them to your storage program. One thing I would say is that most of us don't just eat to stay alive now, and we really don't want to do that in the future if we don't have to. It would be nice to be able to feed our families a little better than just survival foods if we can. If that is not possible, survival foods are certainly a high priority. However, if you would like to add some great variety to the basics then Perma Pak is a Great way to go.

http://www.itsnet.com/~skelling Order Toll Free 877-770-FOOD (3663)

-- Food Storage Solutions (permapak@iname.com), October 20, 1998.

I ordered two months ago, I am not sure if you are the same company.

I was very exited to see all of the well-packaged foods that arrived at my door, and I could not wait to try them. My wife and I enjoyed your Chicken ala King the most, but I found that Salmon with roasted Nuggets came in a close second.

I do, however, have a question for you, perhaps you would be kind enough to reply soon. We have been vomiting continuously for nearly three months now, do you think that this might stop soon? My wife has now gotten some blood in the vomitus, which, combined with her black runny stools give me reason for concern. Myself, I feel OK, if you ignore the constant hacking cough and runny nose, which came upon me suddenly, and I am sure that none of this should reflect on you or your fine foods.

PS, are the little white wormy things normal?

-- Dieter (questions@toask.com), October 21, 1998.

Dieter said, "I ordered two months ago, I am not sure if you are the same company...

I do, however, have a question for you, perhaps you would be kind enough to reply soon. We have been vomiting continuously for nearly three months now, do you think that this might stop soon?"

You can't even LIE well! If you ordered the food 2 months ago, how is it you have been vomiting for 3 months? If you don't want the food, fine. Maybe some people do. Your post is rude!

-- Gayla Dunbar (privacy@please.com), October 21, 1998.

C'mon, Gayla, it's a joke, lighten up. I can't think of a better way to take the starch out of someone who starts a blatantly commercial thread, then posts multiple self-serving questions under various pseudonyms. Do you get it now??

-- N (---@----.com), October 21, 1998.

Yes Mr. N we do get it. Some people have no class no matter where they are.

-- whocares (a@b.com), October 23, 1998.

Dieter you are one sick puppy!

-- None (w@m.com), October 23, 1998.

I JUST LOVE DIETER>>>>what a delightful way to continue this forum. Easy on him guys and gals, perhaps his ol lady is bulimic....Dieter, is your food supply still around, or did your ol lady eat and purge it all???/

-- new kid on block (LOL@aol.com), October 23, 1998.

One other thing to ask. I have got bloody stools now too, should I continue with the Potatoes au Gratin as you suggested in your private e-mail? I ask only because having this running down my leg constantly is slightly embarrassing when I visit my wifes bedside at the hospital. The doctors are still stumped about what her problem is, but I am sure that with me bringing your fine foods to her on a daily basis, she will be well soon.

PS, No I havent informed them of your fine product, as you requested

-- Dieter (questions@toask.com), October 23, 1998.

Dieter, all the products you are discribing sound like MRE's. You need to talk to someone who carries them. I'm sincerely sorry about all the extraordinary problems you and your wife are suffering, but we don't carry any of the products you are complaining about. You'll need to complain somewhere else. One positive I can see from all this Dieter, is that you and your wife now know what not to put in your Food Storage. May I suggest you get some Perma Pak. I have been told it might clear up all the problems you are having. My Gosh, what a terrible time for you and your wife! We feel your pain, and wish you the best. We wish you Good Luck and a quick recovery!

-- Perma Pak People (perma@pak.com), October 26, 1998.

OH Pleasssssseeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!

ANYTHING TO MAKE THE BUCK????? including feigning concern

-- PLEASE (private@aol.com), October 26, 1998.

Mr. Please

I guess you missed the total Sarcasm in that response. I found it quite hilarious!

-- comprehend (you@guess.com), October 26, 1998.

I just wanted to thank you to all of you for the wonderful cards and letters, and to say that it was a beautiful service. It was somewhat ungainly wheeling the iron-lung up to the casket for the final farewell, but my nurses did a fine job under the circumstances. I also wanted to say thanks for your suggestion about the cream of corn enemas, although the nurse had her doubts, and the logistics were difficult, the swelling went down the next day.

When may I expect my next order to arrive?

-- Dieter (questions@toask.com), October 26, 1998.

Good riddance! I hope that's the end of that!

-- Mary (please@dontask.com), October 27, 1998.