My turn to rant... food bank food

[Chirpy]

So, my kids and I have volunteered at our local food bank (in Denver - it's a big one) and have talked with people who work at other food banks and I was shocked and dismayed to find out how much of the food is past it's expiration date.... often wayyyyyyy past the date.

So, why is that? Why is it acceptable to give food to your local food bank that is already past it's 'good by' date. I've seen food over a year past the date donated to the food bank.

Maybe it's just me but it seems that people think the food bank is a dumping ground for food they've had in their pantry for years. And, they think they are doing such a good deed by giving that old food to others?

This just irks me.

The people that need/use the food bank are not any lesser citizens than everyone else - they don't deserve 'wasted' food so why is that all that is available so often?

I think I'm done now....

 

[SophieLain127]

That is horrible. We scrap metal and stuff in the richer area ($1 mil+ houses) There have been many times we've come across boxes and boxes of food that isn't even expired with notes taped to them saying my kids don't like this please take it. We've found brand new cans of soup, canned veggies and fruit. Even 24 packs and 12 packs of pop. They are very wasteful and instead of donating it they just set it out at the trash with a note on it.

 

[jennybee]

i donate when they ask us to at church, and some of it may be past the date ...but... it is 'new', since i shop at a bent n dent place for my own family. i try to give them stuff i would feed my own kids.
but i do know what you mean about the really expired stuff, i don't get why you would give someone else something you wouldn't eat yourself.
how great you and your kids volunteered!

 

[redhen]

yeah..thats kinda wrong. jeez! they dont wanna eat it and get sick, but they'll pass it along to others?

 

[mamaKate]

Their was an issue here several years ago because a food bank gave away boxes of raisins with ants in them. Apprently a lady gave the box to her young kids who ate from it until she noticed the bugs crawling out.

 

[babymakes6]

I, also, shop at bent & dent stores when I can. If it is sealed (cans or bottles), it is good for a long time past the expiration date. It is a good way to save money, but I wouldn't donate anything we wouldn't eat ourselves.

 

[rufus]

Some things just don't spoil. I have a can of Hershey's Cocoa that my mother bought in 1932. I still use it once in a while.

Rufus

 

[ChandlersChickens]

I'm a case manager and I took some of my clients to a food bank.....they got a LOT of grapefruit and potatoes that had a LOT of eyes.

It was pretty sad.

 

[IN-farmgirl]

Pharmaceutical companies donate expired medications to third world countries. They are still good and are much needed in other countries. Many canned goods are still good after the expiration date.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
Yeah, but think about it. I buy a can today (in 2009) dated good until 2013, if you were to say "well it's canned so it's still good" in 2014 you would be talking about really old food!
I would still eat it, but I shouldn't have to, I mean you've had 5 years to find it on the back of your shelf and eat it up!!!

And canned food does go bad. If there's anything wrong with the way it sealed, or the way it got dented, or if the store clerk nicked it with a box knife . . . I worked in retail grocery long enough to recognize a bad can just by picking it up.
You can nick a can with a box cutter and hear the vacuum seal leak out, but you can't tell by looking at it. That can will go bad long before it expires.