Praise or criticism?

[inhawaii]

I sell a lot of food products.  When product expires or gets close to expiring,  of course i'll eat what i can, but rather than throw the rest away, i gather them up and take them to a area where the homeless are and give it to them. They always seem very appreciative. 

My family and friends have mixed feelings about this. Some praise me.  Some criticize me for "dumping expired food on the homeless". 

Anyone care to share their thoughts?

[moondogblues]

The dates on the jars or cans are to protact the manufacturer. They are nowhere indicative of how safe or unsafe the foods are. Google the subject and you will be amazed...eggs can last SIX months in the fridge. Food in a glass jar will last for years and years. Cans likewise unless it ruptures. Use your nose, if it smalls bad, throw it away.

Things do get stale, like cereal and crackers...eat them anyway, give them to the dog, or the birds. Cheese gets moldy, cut the mold off and eat the rest... the same with bread. We in this country throw so much food out that we could feed people and creatures with. It's a shame.

Imagine a couple of hundred or even a thousand years ago...when people routinely starved to death. We are so spoiled here.

[moondogblues]

I just have to add...I had a friend who worked for McDonalds...they have a policy that's like a halflife for the food, any longer and it goes in the garbage. So the employees would put the items carefully in the dumpster so that (homeless) people could salvage them.

Management caught on and made the employees bury the items further down in the bins. I rarely ate at MickyD's after I heard that. There has to be a better way.

[*madison]

I wouldn't give expired food to my dog.

[tapi-szem]

I reorganized the pantry around the time the pandemic started and found a bunch of expired mixes and cans. I did not keep the cans (should have, there was nothing wrong with them) but have since used up all the dry soup mixes (some expired back in 2014) as well as a creme brulee mix that expired in 2016 (DH told me I should probably toss the one that expired in 2012). Still here, not even a tummy upset. DS just had a frozen veggie pasta meal that expired in 2018. No problems.

A couple of years ago we were collecting food with the Boy Scouts (people donate an incredible amount of well-expired and even half-used food BTW) and one of the other moms confessed she had to actually buy food to donate because everything in her pantry was expired.

I would not eat moldy bread though because bread is porous and mold spores can already be in areas that do not appear moldy. You can cut mold off hard cheeses but you need to toss moldy soft cheese. Ditto bursting/deformed cans.

I have a glass jar of jam that is dated (by my mom, she made it) the year my oldest son was born. No mold but I don't think we'll ever eat it.

[soh.maryl]

Along this same topic, I volunteered many, many years ago at a local food pantry.

One of the local grocery stores, which is a local chain with about 10 area stores, used to send over faithfully almost every morning, items from their bakery.  These had no actual expiration dates, but were fresh bakes goods like doughnuts etc.  Occasionally, there would be a birthday cake that someone ordered, then did not pick up.

I recall one client who was happy to have the "Happy Birthday, Rachel" cake for her son, was just going to pick off that "Rachel" part.  Another cake had no name, but little plastic jungle animals around the edge.  Clients almost fought over that one.  

[this*old*attic]

@karthok.of.daolodus 

Kicked the deadbeat out

The whole reason we were so broke is that he felt fishing was a better use of his time than, um , working.

A real winner, but I’d picked him.

[postcardcountry]

Dog and cat food are often made from food considered "unfit for human consumption" according to a veterinarian we were friends with. And when DH did insurance claims he has a list of 'meat rederers' to call and sell meat to when the refrigeration in a trailer failed. The bad portions were cut out, the good turned into pet food.

[*madison]

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@postcardcountry wrote:
Dog and cat food are often made from food considered "unfit for human consumption" according to a veterinarian we were friends with. And when DH did insurance claims he has a list of 'meat rederers' to call and sell meat to when the refrigeration in a trailer failed. The bad portions were cut out, the good turned into pet food.

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Eh?

I said I wouldn't give my dog expired food, I didn't say I wanted to eat dog and cat food. ...  I'm not sure what the point of your post is?

[oleander1993]

Definitely praise. On non perishables, it’s a best by date really. The homeless are going to consume these items quickly I would imagine and are better off for having had them. It is not the same as donating spoiled food or donating torn and stained clothing or broken items if that’s what your relatives are thinking. Not the same at all. It is kindness.

[karthok.of.daolodus]

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@this*old*attic wrote:

@karthok.of.daolodus 

Kicked the deadbeat out

The whole reason we were so broke is that he felt fishing was a better use of his time than, um , working.

A real winner, but I’d picked him.

---

ok, I just couldn't figure out what you were saying. 

[coolections]

Nothing wrong with that. I am surprised some of your family members think it is bad to give the stuff to the homeless. Obviously you have to be smart about it and throw out anything way past the expired date. Ever see Tiger King on Netfix ? They got daily truckloads of expired meat from Walmart to feed the tigers. The oldest date the tigers ate, and the newest dates, yet still expired, the workers ate.

[turquoisetulips]

  Some criticize me for "dumping expired food on the homeless".  hawaii 

If the people doing the criticizing spent one day as a homeless person living on the streets ,, they may change their minds . Most of the homeless are adults  so I say keep donating and let them decide . I honestly think it's a great thing  you're doing . Tulips 

[turquoisetulips]

Dog and cat food are often made from food considered "unfit for human consumption" according to a veterinarian we were friends with. postcardcountry ------------------------------

That notion crossed my mind the day I was in a pet store and a employee  was giving out samples of a dog food called '' Fresh pet . She had it all cut up on a platter  for  people to taste . She insisted it was good enough for humans  to eat  but I just couldn't bring myself to try it .  Tulips 

[hillbillymedia]

Homeless folks still have the choice to say "no thank you" don`t they?

[turquoisetulips]

Eh?

I said I wouldn't give my dog expired food, I didn't say I wanted to eat dog and cat food. ...  I'm not sure what the point of your post is? madison to postcardcountry ----------- 

Lol ! My husband had to fix a  plug in  outlet  that was at the very bottom  on a wall in our kitchen  one day . He was laying on his belly  doing the work  right next to the dogs food dish . Our little dog was intensely watching him  and he looked so confused . I think he thought   my husband was getting ready to eat out of his bowl . It was funny  as heck . Tulips