i feel a bit guilty now, but would you do it?

mrcow

ChocClare wrote: »

I can see your point if the food were in packets or bags, but surely not tins? Doesn't matter where they've been really, as long as they're not dented or rusty (or he wasn't some nutter who spent his time injecting tins with strychnine...):D

House clearances can involve all types of residences.

If those tins had been bought and were sat festering in a kitchen full of !!!!, putrid urine and flies, then no, sorry there is no way I'd take them into my house and proceed to feed them to my family.

greenbee

mrcow wrote: »

House clearances can involve all types of residences.

If those tins had been bought and were sat festering in a kitchen full of !!!!, putrid urine and flies, then no, sorry there is no way I'd take them into my house and proceed to feed them to my family.

Given the state of some warehouses, I recommend that you clean the outsides of tins and bottles before opening, as sometimes what's on the outside can contaminate what's on the inside. This includes drinks cans... don't drink them straight from a vending machine or shop without wiping first. Even without the issue of what goes on in the warehouse, how do you know that the person who loaded the machine/fridge had washed their hands before touching them?

foreign_correspondent

greenbee wrote: »

Given the state of some warehouses, I recommend that you clean the outsides of tins and bottles before opening, as sometimes what's on the outside can contaminate what's on the inside. This includes drinks cans... don't drink them straight from a vending machine or shop without wiping first. Even without the issue of what goes on in the warehouse, how do you know that the person who loaded the machine/fridge had washed their hands before touching them?

absolutely - canned food is transported on the backs of rusty old lorries, stood in warehouses, on pallets in goods yards etc... there is no guarantee that a mouse hasnt widdled on it before you got it, or someone with mucky hands hasnt fondled it!

debtmuncher

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

i must admit you did need a nose peg in the house, thats why i left the packet stuff, and only took the tins.

the tins were all in date, and no dents etc..

edit... just noticed 5 pages... didnt realise it would cause so much interest...

bet you wished you never started it lol:p

steerpike

In my family, it is tradition and habit for all the contents of a dead relatives home to be shared out between family members.

I am using (with love and happy memories) crockery, pans, bedding and furniture that belonged to my grandparents who passed away 45 years ago..

and yes.. any tinned, frozen or packaged food items are also divvied up, taken home and eaten with enjoyment and without guilt.

Like many others - I have never been rich enough to be fussy or squeamish.

"Clean enough to be healthy, dirty enough to be happy";)

COOLTRIKERCHICK

debtmuncher wrote: »

bet you wished you never started it lol:p

lol.....actually i think its turning out to be a good healthy chat about people's feelings on food/ things thrown away after someone has died, which is normally a bit of a taboo topic with some people.

i agree with the storage of food in warehouses etc.. especially if they have been canned abroad, some countries dont have pest control systems in place like in our country

mrcow

greenbee wrote: »

Given the state of some warehouses, I recommend that you clean the outsides of tins and bottles before opening, as sometimes what's on the outside can contaminate what's on the inside. This includes drinks cans... don't drink them straight from a vending machine or shop without wiping first. Even without the issue of what goes on in the warehouse, how do you know that the person who loaded the machine/fridge had washed their hands before touching them?

I've worked in many warehouses/food manufacturing plants. I've also worked in the logistics/transport industry for many years.

I still wouldn't eat food that had been been left to fester in a house with with large quantities stale urine on the floor or faecal slime over work surfaces. Or dog crap all over the house.

Some people live in really disgusting conditions. They let animals (or other humans) deficate on floors or they never, ever clean and their houses stink like !!!!. If I wouldn't happily have a cup of tea there, I certainly wouldn't be removing food from the pantry.

Thanks but no thanks - there are plenty of other ways to save a few bob.

mummysaver

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

lol.....actually i think its turning out to be a good healthy chat about people's feelings on food/ things thrown away after someone has died, which is normally a bit of a taboo topic with some people.

i agree with the storage of food in warehouses etc.. especially if they have been canned abroad, some countries dont have pest control systems in place like in our country

I asked a couple of people at work about this, some were fine about it but others were really strange, they seemed to believe that somehow the food would be contaminated by death cooties! :rolleyes: Very interesting discussion though!

I like the idea suggested by a few posters of proposing that the house clearers work together with a charity - I'm sure many charities would be happy to take the food, though no doubt it'd depend on volunteers.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

mrcow wrote: »

I've worked in many warehouses/food manufacturing plants. I've also worked in the logistics/transport industry for many years.

I still wouldn't eat food that had been been left to fester in a house with with large quantities stale urine on the floor or faecal slime over work surfaces. Or dog crap all over the house.

Some people live in really disgusting conditions. They let animals (or other humans) deficate on floors or they never, ever clean and their houses stink like !!!!. If I wouldn't happily have a cup of tea there, I certainly wouldn't be removing food from the pantry.

Thanks but no thanks - there are plenty of other ways to save a few bob.

i can see yuor point mrcow, and yes i agree i would not take/eat the food if its anywhere near what you have discribed in your post,

but you must admit that is an extreme case.

the old ladies house was, in a bit of a state upstairs, as she could not get up there for a few years, so lived down stairs, and yes it could have been in a better state, but she did have social services going there twice a day, to make her food etc,

the reason why the upstairs was in a state, is something to do with social services policy, something to do with they can not go anywhere in the house that the lady can not get to, so can only help in the rooms that the lady lived in.

and in all honestly i dont think there would be any food in a place like you discribed, the only think you might find is takeaway cartons or cans of beer or bottles of meths

NualaBuala

I think it's great that you took the stuff:T. It's awful to think of perfectly good food being chucked in a skip to add to landfill when there are people starving. Whenever I die (not for a while I hope as I'm young and healthy) I hope there is someone as practical as you around to make use of what I leave behind.