Tonight: From Bin To Banquet

ceridwen

fluffybunnies wrote: »

The reason that most supermarkets do not give away food that they waste/has gone past it's date is because of the possibility of contamination - anyone who became ill after eating said food can sue the supermarket over it.

Unbelievably this applies even to those who steal the food from their bins, hence the reasons most supermarkets now have locks on them.

I would be interested to see if we have any legal bods on here that can state the exact legal position re whether anyone really COULD sue if they suffered a problem because of having taken skipped food - personally I wouldnt take your managers word for it - they are probably just parroting what higher management have told them (and they may not really know the facts either).

If it really is the case that skippers could sue if their food made them ill - I very much doubt they would actually do so - having taken it "illicitly". Certainly myself I fully expect that any food I actually BUY from a supermarket doesnt make me ill and they would be in trouble if it did do so. But I fully accept that if I got skipped food from them - then its a case "buyer beware" and my own fault if I didnt have the sense to check it out that it was okay before putting it in my mouth. Obviously too - by definition - how would someone poor enough that they had to "skip" their food then be able to afford a solicitor anyway?:rolleyes:

If it really is the case that the "law is an !!!" in this respect and then really is the case that even "skippers" would use that law - then its time for the law to be changed.

gunsandbanjos

Some companies still give to homeless charities. My hubby has just started volunteering at one and he says they get a massive amount of donations. M&S are still big givers and Wiseman dairies too. In fact they get so much that they actually cant use it all and the volunteers are allowed to take a little home if the charity cant use it. Its nice to see some big companies are responsible.

Horace

I shall watch this programme with interest. If you take things from a bin or skip it is classed as theft - I can remember working for the probation service many moons ago and we had a client who had been given a community service order - he seemed quite a decent chap and not the normal variety of crim that we dealt with, on speaking to him I found that he had taken something from a skip. The item had been thrown away but it was considered that by removing it from the skip it had deprived the owner of the skip:rolleyes:

M&S have always been very good, I can remember back in the late 60's early 70's my aunt ran a children's home in Lancashire and a lot of their food was donated by M&S, I used to love Christmas time because we would get all sorts of goodies:D

More recently I visited my local Tesco store and they had some lovely tomatoes on the vine - I picked a few and took them to the tills and was told that I couldnt buy them as they had been ordered by mistake and they didnt appear on their computers. I was told to put them back but stood my ground and got them for free:D

There is too much waste - food should be given to the homeless and even pensioners.

I rarely waste food as I buy what I need and will even use my leftovers:D I also watch that blood sweat and tears programme - I was appalled but then I try not to be foreign food.

anniemf2508

an article about the programme

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1211094/The-bin-banquet-How-dish-gourmet-feast-500--cooked-entirely-food-chucked-away-wasteful-supermarkets.html

Brighterfuture

Anthony Worrel Thompson is on this morning in about 5min, demonstrating some of the cooking

missychrissy

I will definitely be recording this programme tonight as I work night shifts.

I think it is totally irresponsible to continue with the present waste system. We must look after our planet and the people on it that are unable to help themselves.

I am shocked at the stuff that people I know throw away. I recently had a friend who said that she had just cleared out loads of toiletries because some of them were over a year old. I told her to pass them on to me next time. I keep soap for years sometimes before I use it and bath foam and shower gel can be watered down and used in hand wash containers.

I work for an nursing agency and visit lots of different care homes and hospital. Some of the homes are very sensible and allow the night staff to use up any leftovers. Anything suitable is usually refridgerated. It is usually our responsibility anyway to dispose of anything perishable before the nest day shift such as sandwiches from teatime. A few homes actually leave us something to eat. However, they are not all like this and in some the waste is shocking.

About 18 months ago I cleared out a house that one of my sons rents out. The cupboards were full of tins, jars, cleaning products etc. I took it all home. I recently used up a jar of Cantonese stir fry that had a best before date of 18/07/07. It tasted absolutely fine and I had no ill effects whatsoever so clearly the dating system is overcautious. I second the idea to ban them.

I am so pleased to hear that some companies, like M & S are being responsible with their waste. I sometimes work in a home where the local Asda deliver left over flowers and sometimes some fruit for us to use up. In fact, I am there tonight so here's hoping.

winniepooh

I'll will be watching this programme tonight with interest I think i'll learn alot from this programme. Supermarkets should be ashamed of themselves (not M&S of course)

missychrissy

winniepooh wrote: »

I'll will be watching this programme tonight with interest I think i'll learn alot from this programme. Supermarkets should be ashamed of themselves (not M&S of course)

Hear! Hear!

I keep thinking of all those old aged pensioners struggling on small pensions that could be fed for free. Just realsied I'm going to be one of them in 6 years.:eek:

anguk

I get annoyed at the amount of things supermarkets throw away.

The other day I was in my local Tesco 5 minutes before it closed and they had only reduced the use by that day stuff by 1/4, so a joint of meat that was originally £4 was now on sale for £3! There was no way they'd sell it at that price so it will have just been thrown out. If they'd reduced it by 3/4 they would have probably sold everything and at least made some money.

I get envious when I read posts from people saying they've picked up bread etc for 10p or 20p because we never get reductions like that in my local store.

Scarlett25

Just bumping this thread up to remind anyone who's interested that the prog's on tonight (Sept 4th) at 8pm!

I'm the same anguk - my local Tesco never seems to have big reductions either!