FOOD for FREE ? Foraging for your dinner?

Question

Hi

Would you or do you do it ?

Due to high food prices, many people now with homes !! are going out at night and looking for FREE FOOD

Many shops just chuck out GOOD food at the end of the day

I havent done it... but there is a big culture of these people Skip ratting at night looking for free bargains

Whats your opinion ?

recycling at its best ?

Answer 1

Well since health laws prevent a lot of food from being given to homeless shelters (I'm not sure of how they distinguish what is good or not.) this food is going to waste.

Over 10 years ago when I worked at fast food places the employees were given the option of taking home the food that had been cooked & not sold  after closing. Mind you it wasn't a lot and you had to record what was wasted. But it was a way for the employees not to starve on their wages.

A lot of places will put the prepackaged foods (cut fruit, sandwiches and the like) in particular containers for people to go through. BUT they cannot just hand them out for fear of people suing for food poisnioning.

I think if I was hungry enough, I would do so.  But I would be very picky on what I take.  Having a home would have nothing to do with it. If I lost my job & had to take one that paid less, cut down on all expenses & still couldn't make my bills, I would pay the rent & water/sewage and seek other options. Be it food banks, soup kitchens or freebees.  

Dumpster diving is a part of our culture, always has been. Tinkers, Rag & Bone men & Ash men are just some of the jobs that people had to help "recycle" things people had no use for.  

Perhaps if this is happening more often people will start looking at their lives and figure a way to "do" for themselves.  For example a cucumber plant doesn't take up much room and can provide quite a surplus. You might be mighty sick of them but it is food.

Answer 2

I have no problem with it, i think it prevents the food being wasted, which i hate to see! I think if these people can do it there is no reason that homeless people can't find the same places and get food too, their need to do it should be great enough to make them! (not that i think giving food away to shelters is a bad idea - i think its a fab idea)

As for the misinformed ramblings of the person who said that these people have no respect for themselves, i think they need to stop being so judgemental and see freeganism as a lifestyle choice and not judge all of them by a narrow cross section. it never fails to amaze me just how narrow minded some people can be.

Answer 3

May be the shops should give the food to homeless shelters rather than throw it away.

Answer 4

I believe where I live, the large shops in the town give the food away to shelters etc which is as it should be

Answer 5

I've heard about this it had brief tv coverage with Hugh Fernley Whittingstall.  It's disgusting that supermarkets can get away with throwing out such large quantities of good food. If someone can benefit out of this ridiculous practice then more power to them.  This stupid practice brings to mind the subsidies farmers are given for throwing away milk, and not growing crops in some areas etc etc....

Incidently I knew a farmer who used his surplus milk to open an icecream shop.

Going back to your heading 'FOOD for FREE? Foraging for your dinner?' - I collect edible nuts, berries, plants, mushrooms and shellfish from the wild.  This is more of a hobby than anything because of the time it can take to gather, however it is good fun and you do get the occasional glut of food.

I've put a link on for Richard Mabey's book 'Food For Free'.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/redirect.html...

Answer 6

Freegans (as these wretched people style themselves) are the worst sort of crusty, pikey thieves, they have no respect for themselves least of all society and our mores.  The people that I have seen (thankfully only on television and not in real life) were dirty, had little respect for the poor (rarely are these blessed mites ever sent to school) children forced by them to live in vans and the like and even less for the animals they insisted on keeping, they had bizarre and frankly unhinged belief in what they were doing.  Freegans are a step down from travellers I am afraid.

Answer 7

Shops have rigorous requirements regarding out of date food, for obvious reasons in this increasingly claims conscious society in which we live. The allowance for safety is for this reason reflected in these short dates. So I believe that it is safe to "skip Rattle" provided the dates are only just exceeded and that the products are sealed and not contaminated from within the skip by vermin etc.

However if it became widespread then retailers margins would be hit due to reduced sales and action would then be taken to ensure that it was not possible to happen again.

Certain retailers do sell imminent out of date stock at reduced rates to their employees.

Why not start a movement for everyone to grow their own food, boycot shops and then whatch  the shop prices tumble.

Retailers have and will always profiteer over the elastivity of demand

Answer 8

eh... that sounds a bit gross to be honest. if you plan your cooking ahead and shop wisely you should be able to keep costs down. and stay away from ready meals as they are expensive and usually unhealthy!