An idea for killing the hunger. (restaurant, tuna, bread, soup)

[Kholasa]

Look at how much food do we through in the trash.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...etal-or-glass/

Now, imagine if this food was saved to feed the hungry people and the homeless.
How to do this?

1) Every neighborhood would collect some money to buy a big refrigerator.
2) Put the refrigerator in a seen place at the entrance of the neighborhood.
3) Every home in the neighborhood collect the left over food and put it in a box with the date on it.
4) While driving to work in the morning put this box in the refrigerator.
5) Spreading the word between your co-workers and friends while make others adopt the same idea and we will kill the hunger.
Hungry people and homeless will now have a way to eat this food instead of throwing it away.

Please share your thoughts and ways to improve.

[des1rees]

I think this is a great idea. When you look at the amount of food wasted by an average family, it could easily feed others less fortunate.
Having said that - I think I would prefer to have it shared in a different manner. I do not think I would be too comfortable about encouraging homeless people wander through my neighborhood - because they know food is available. It is a safety issue here.
Maybe taking turns in driving the leftover food to a shelter or soup kitchen might work...

[Kholasa]

Good point Des1ress. If we would deliver the food to shelters or soup kitchen it has to be daily to keep the food fresh as possible.

[Lodestar]

It's a wonderful idea. Unfortunately there are now so many government regulations regarding serving food to strangers that, at present, it wouldn't be allowed.

Then there are also the law suits to consider from people who would claim your food made them sick.

[Kholasa]

Oh, really, did they do this?

[Gerania]

Some time ago. Markets throw out perfectly good food daily and lock the dumpsters so that no one can take it.

[Mikala43]

Originally Posted by Lodestar

It's a wonderful idea. Unfortunately there are now so many government regulations regarding serving food to strangers that, at present, it wouldn't be allowed.

Then there are also the law suits to consider from people who would claim your food made them sick.

This. Many "soup kitchens" won't accept donated old food, and certainly not leftovers. Freely handing it out would almost certainly result in law suits and the first sign of someone getting sick and the possibility it was from old food.

I wish it were different.

[mainebrokerman]

it all sounds good in theory, until someone gets sick....
and if someone got food poisoning,,, and lawyers got involved....

I worked in those supermarkets that everyone seems to think millions so much good food gets tossed....well, what you don't see or know,,is just about every supermarket chain is being sue'd at any given time....by multiple people on all fronts,,,front people slipping on a grape, to carriages hitting cars in the parking lot, to multiple "cry wolfs" on the food poisoning fronts..

the place is a business, and lawyers will always go after the deepest pockets...


ive been involved in bogus foodborne illnesses claims, and in a hearing you could have three lawyers coming at you . "why would you give any "questionable" products away when there is an increased chance of foodborn illness?? why would you put the public at risk"?
aren't you a professional?? what are your credentials in food safety??

well, gee mr lawyer, im seeing all this food get thrown out when so many are hungry

"play the violin all you want, you put my client at risk" "were you trying to kill my client"???



and those so called fairness laws that are out there... lawyers get around them...that's what they do





in the past ten years, the stores have been doing a much better job not throwing so much out- most will sell reduced produce as to avoid throwing it out,,, 98 % gets sold




for community kitchens and individuals volunteering,, food they don't use,, ??? ive seen this - looking for cans of foods ,,,

its a good idea in theory and I really wish we were a golden rule society,,

but we are a sue- happy society...unfortunately, the bad apples spoil the whole bushel

[jim9251]

I never have wasted food. I eat leftovers until the green fuzzy stuff appears, then that goes into the compost bin. A lot of the local supermarkets here donate expired bread, and canned goods to the local food bank. Nearly every town has a food bank where people can come in and help themselves. There's also local churches who have food banks and give the needy free food.

[Lodestar]

Some years ago in MN our government introduced a bill to end potluck dinners. The reason was that there was no way to determine if the food was being prepared in a sanitary way. Fortunately we are still allowed to have those.

I can't imagine the loss if organizations had to forego potlucks. It's the ideal way to attract people and get to know them while providing hospitality.

The bakery/small restaurant where my daughter cooks throws all kinds of tasty food away every day when it has reached its expiration date. I know it's still safe to eat because I am often the beneficiary. It could make you cry to see the waste. So I appreciate the OP's concern about it.

That's not to say that our food shelves are empty. There is still plenty of free food here. So much so that I have difficulty believing that anyone is going hungry unless it's by choice. My guess is that the true victims of hunger in our society are either too young or too old and ill to get the food by themselves.

Where did common sense go? Into someone's pocket.