Question: Have you ever considered simply asking the store if you can have their damaged produce before they toss it in the garbage?
Yep. Most grocery store chains that I know of (Safeway, Foodlion, Harris Teeter, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Ingles, etc.) have policies dictating that the food be disposed of and not given away. Some grocery stores will set up programs donating a very limited amount of tossed out food (typically just bread) to food kitchens, but largely due to liability reasons, they have to toss it in the trash. But it hasn't stopped me from asking.
If you want to each cheese and meat out of the garbage more power to you, but I don't feel i'm being ignorant for thinking that's nasty as fuck.
Whether or not you "feel" as though you are being ignorant, you are. Unspoiled and clean produce is unspoiled and clean. Simple enough. Your fear about the food because it sat in a metal canister is your own hang up.
Is that really where we're gonna draw the line?
Sorry but..
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The only difference is that the people on the left have no choice but to live on scraps.
People equate going through other peoples garbage with homeless people. Do I really need to link you to a scientific study for that?
What the fuck is this shit? Are you seriously saying there is no difference between those two scenarios except necessity? And whether or not "people" equate going through the garbage with homelessness or not, I fail to see how that matters. If you are so worried about your social image that you can't nab some perfectly good food from a dumpster, why the fuck should anyone else care? Anyway, this mostly happens late at night. I doubt any of your high-roller, baller-ass-baller friends would be hanging around to judge you.
People also need to remember that sealed bags aren't vacuums.
If meat or produce are placed in temperatures that promote the growth of bacteria, the fact that it's in a sealed bag isn't going to do anything to stop that growth from happening.
I'm sorry, mate, but distinguishing spoiled meat from good meat isn't particularly hard. When diving, it's smart to be cautious, to pick things that hedge your bet. If it's clear the meat has been in the dumpster since the day before (or longer), avoid it (then again, if it's the winter, game on). Check general temperatures with your hands. Check vacuum sealed bags and wrap for holes or other openings. Check for cross contamination with other foods in the dumpster. Check for signs of spoilage, like bad smells, textures, colors, mold, etc.
In all of my experience, I've yet to get sick from spoiled food. I have certainly come across food that is spoiled, mind you. I'm just not an idiot. I don't eat it.
