I did it in college, mainly to get furniture. But food for my kids...I don't think so. They would have to be starving. I don't think I could do it to save money, even if the items are unopened. I hve to wonder why all this food is tossed and not donated to a homeless shelter. I bet the shelters have rules that they are too good for day old product. link Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
A good article, Orleander. In Canada, it is a matter of law that we cannot sell dated product and only certain items can even be given to food banks if dated. This is a liability issue related to health and safety. For the same reason, items like flour and sugar bags must be dumped if they are punctured, as there is no way if determining whether a contaminant has been willfully or accidentally introduced to the product. One of my jobs is to take temperature checks of the freezer and refrigerator items twice nightly. If product is not within acceptable ranges, once again it must be pulled and disposed of. A great deal of waste, for sure, but such is the price of safety. That being said, the vast majority of non-perishable food will remain usable considerably beyond it's 'best before date', and a careful and discerning individual should be at little health risk if they use common sense and care, as the individual in the article seems to be aware of. When you have hungry children to feed, one takes less notice of the social stigma attached to certain activities. Considerable food of uncertain origin (out of season wildlife, army rations etc.) are nebulous memories of my early youth.... :shrug:
I know someone who teaches a course on food management and waste and she takes her whole class to the grocery store dumpster to make lunch.
Western societies are the most wasteful of food, mainly because most suppliers are overstocked and so have to dump a lot of their stock eventually. The US is known to be at the top of the list. However, the supply chain itself is quite a complex system (nobody really understands it). Instead of efficiency the easiest solution is oversupply, then nobody runs out, and everyone has access to food--more than they need. This could explain why Americans are the most overweight per capita in the world, and other western countries aren't too far, um, behind.
Reminds me, I'd better get into those dumpstered pineapple cans on the porch before they start going pop. Mostly I don't dumpster food, being choosy, but if I see unopened packages of stuff, it just screams "Take me!" It's mostly clothes, now...my wife is mad at me for bringing home too much junk...and really it's time to redd up and throw out stuff.
there is a goverment and local goverment program in SA called "zero waste" http://www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au/ This program is focused on every step in the surply chain and aims to eliminate waste and one of the programs they surport is called "food rescue" which gets food at its used by date (from places like supermarkets), food which has been prepared to be eaten and would be thrown out (by catering companies and resurants) and delivers it rapidly to charities who feed the homeless and disadavantaged. They focus SPECIFICALLY on perishable foods where there has to be a rapid turn around. Personally i try not to waste food by minimising waste in portion control, any usable offcuts i try to use in stocks, after that (and the stuff which cant be used in stock) if its organic it goes on the compost heep which the dogs can also pick through. We are about to get a worm farm too
I am appalled by the amount of food that is damaged by our customers, that ends up not salvageable. These imbeciles leave meat and dairy sitting on the shelves, and because of the risk to health, it cannot be saved, with but a few exceptions, such as butter or hard cheese if it still temperature checks cool. I find eggs and produce in the freezers, frozen goods in the coolers and so partially thawed etc. One time I found that a large beverage had been spilled on ten boxes of expensive cereal, ($90.00 lost for a $3.00 coffee). At least that product was in sealed bags inside and was able to be diverted to the food banks. Freaking air thieves. Because of a few, the cost is apportioned to all. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
