Just wanted to say that this show is exposing how the US wastes so much good food. I have posted before about deals my friends have worked out with a local grocery store to "buy" for a dollar a box the "waste" produce that is heading for the trash compactor. Unbelievable quantities of perfectly good but "imperfect" food is tossed either because Americans won't buy anything less than spotless produce or because our laws currently don't allow us to consume food at the wrong temp, etc. The show said we toss out enough food every day to fill up an entire football stadium. Makes me sick--SICK--to think of the people starving throughout the world.
Didnt see the show, but have heard of what you're talking about....no words to describe how horrible this is. Why dont they make some kind of program where the grocery chains can provide this food free to eligible applicants. Wont cost anyone any money, food wont be thrown away, and the hungry can go to bed full.
They cannot legally do such things. Because if they sell you "expired" foods and you get sick, you can sue. Even things like boxes of pasta have an expiration date and stores aren't even allowed to give them away. DH runs into this at work. They make fresh doughnuts every single day. They waste about 30 each morning. State law does NOT allow even employees to take home the day-old stuff. It really sucks. Then when you add in all the boxes of snacks and bags of chips... it's crazy.
At least with fresh produce, it has more to do with blemishes than expiration dates. My friend pays a dollar a box so that the store is still technically selling the produce and it doesn't fall into issues associated giving it away. This same store will mark down bagged items getting close to date (precut/washed lettuce, etc.) to sell it before having to toss it out. At least give consumers the opportunity to opt for less than perfect produce at a reduced cost. The problem is the rest of the customers think that all the food near the imperfect food is somehow contaminated. People are stupid. :roll: Another thing that upsets me is the amount of meat and dairy thrown away that could have been frozen by the store and then sold of donated to a pantry who will keep it frozen until it reaches the recipient. Total, total waste of resources. I can't believe animal rights activists haven't latched onto this. Think of the animals slaughtered for no good reason at all but to fill a landfill.
Just a note....the waste begins at the growers since stores won't buy less than perfect produce. The growers they interviewed estimated around 40% of their produce is considered waste. Waste doesn't even begin to describe it.
Springfield has a couple of bakeries (um.. a Sarah Lee and a Hostess, I think). Anyhow, as a result, they also have "used bread stores." Ok, so the bread isn't used, obviously, but they're called thrift stores and "thrift store" implies "second hand" so the joke is to call them "used bread stores." Basically they resell any items that the vendors pull from the grocery store shelves as close-dated. They sell these items for pretty near cost. We're talking about $.50 loaves of bread, $.25 boxes of hostess cakes, etc. They are also located, though not on purpose, in the rougher parts of town (read: poorer). Could you imagine if we had something similar for meat and produce?! Like, a Gordmmans for groceries. I'd bet there'd even be some money to be made in that industry!
we recorded the show but havn't watched it yet, I think the kids are going to watch it next. I love bakery outlets. Havn't been in a long time.
I agree, but with meat, there does come a time where it is "bad" and thus dangerous to eat. As stated, legally they can't because of the potential of lawsuits. A guy in the church I grew up in worked for Ross Laboratories/Abbott Foods. They're the people who make Similac for infants. They found a whole pallet of Similac that was only a few days before the expiration date in a warehouse that had somehow got forgotten. They couldn't send it to the store with that close to the sell by date. It killed him to have to throw it out, especially since he knew the expiration date was set WAY before it actually went bad. Someone suggested sending it overseas. How would that play out in the media? "ABBOT FOODS SENDING INFANT FORMULA TO THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES THAT IT WON'T FEED TO AMERICAN CHILDREN"
Ug. The media. Yeah.... that's a PR nightmare. Imagine the headlines! LOCAL FARMERS DONATE SUBSTANDARD FOOD (with pictures of the blemished-but-edible, horrible-looking foods) NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE RICH, EXPIRED FOOD GIVEN TO THE POOR HOMELESS DEEMED UNWORTHY OF DECENT FOOD, OUTDATED GIVEN INSTEAD
Have not seen the show, but it made me think. Ok, this is all stuff that I think I remember hearing from our local food bank, so don't quote me on any of it because I could be remembering incorrectly. Our food bank distributes non-perishables for up to 6 months past the "best by" date. On a tour there one time, we were told that the date given is the "peak" of the product and that they are good for 6 months beyond that. So, they can either purchase or get a donation (can't remember) of expiring canned food from stores. That is now the rule of thumb that I go by in my house. They also get produce and day old bakery items that they put out on a table for people to take as much as they want until it is gone (I guess the produce doesn't go that fast, and they just have tons of the bakery stuff). I know they mentioned Circle K even having a deal where they drop off the bananas that have reached the not-so-beautiful, but still edible state. They also have a program where people can call in and arrange for volunteers to come and pick produce from any trees they have. This is really good since we have alot of retired people who may have trees with fruit that would just go to waste (especially snowbirds who may be gone during peak production).
Panera donates their bread, but you have to come and get it to take to the donation place. I just came back from the store, and (having thought on it) feel that the consumer is part of the problem. When I go shopping, especially if I'm paying top dollar, I look through and won't get it unless it's "perfect". And I figure I'm not alone on that. I don't want to buy a pound of fruit and have to throw half of it out! But at the same time, I'd be happy to go somewhere that had slightly blemished stuff and buy it at a reduced rate.
Jackie, I never actually thought about it that way but I agree. I do look for the best if I have to pay the price for the best. California produces a lot of meat and produce. While I can't say much for meat farms, the farmers who grow produce give a lot of their leftovers or sell it for very little to pig farmers who do not feed grain to their pigs. There are also a number of gleaning groups; they are for the most part nonprofit groups that go in after the harvest and pick what the farmer did not pick because it couldn't be reached or it wasn't worth the money to run the machines to harvest some of the crops. They also reuse it as fertilizer as well as send the "not so store worthy" fruit and veggies to .99 stores, shelters, and give them away to the needy. I learned this is AG when I was in college and have seen it or heard about when we were living in the salad bowl. While there is waste coming from all areas, and I have not watched "the Big Waste", from what I know about commercial farmers, I am talking about large scale farmers, they try to use what they can or they suffer a huge loss. Farming usually isn't a highly profitable business. You will find that many farmers do so because it has been in the family for generations. With the costs of farming on a large scale and government intervention, we are seeing fewer and fewer farmers.
I also wanted to add that our church food bank, as well as others, take in many donations from stores. We also have vouchers from a couple stores for homeless people or needy families to go into the store and the manager gives them what they can't sell. It is a write-off for the stores.
I have approached several stores about taking their throw-away food that is not technically past the date yet. Most places have policies preventing them from donating it unless it is on a corporate level. Absurd. I have also run into one store who donates it for animal food. Patty, I am so encouraged to hear that larger farmers do what they can to get the food used up by someone or something. Even if the reasoning is for profits, at least it is not being wasted.
Well, heck, even if they want the profits! Selling it for half-price is still more profit than throwing it out!
Considering they are in it for a profit, whether large or small, both the farmer and the economy benefit if the extras are utilized one way or another.
This is horrible! Everyone should have a store like we do. There is a grocery store here that gets "near-dated" stuff, and then if it's meat it is Frozen immediately to allow a longer selling point. If it's canned or boxed goods it is sold at a deep discount. Sometimes things are out of date, but it's still good and they have a great return policy if an item isn't any good. They also break into smaller packages and sell large case packs from the delivery companies like Sysco when a box is slightly torn and a merchant refuses delivery. When we go out there to shop (not often cause it's on the other end of town and in not a nice area), I can get 2 weeks worth of groceries (perfectly good food, including produce) for around 150.00 for the 5 of us! The only thing you have to be careful out there are some of the dairy/refrigerated products. Though yogurt will keep for Weeks beyond it's expiry date!
Shoot, Birbitt! Wish we had something like that near us! I know the town Dad lives in has a "dented foods" store that I would guess is similar. I've never been, but maybe I should check it out the next time I'm up that way....
Yes! Can you give us details about the company who owns that store? A website maybe? A friend and I have discussed creating such a place here but can't ever seem to get information on such a thing.
