RU Brave Enough to Use Own Containers to Carry Meat etc., from Meat/Deli Counters?

dogstarheaven

I've always wanted to do this, but am scared that I might worry the servers at these shops as I really hate having to accept the produce that I'm buying that is so overly-wrapped in plastics. Does anyone agree with this. When I buy meat in Morrisons and deli stuff, I always ask for the meat to be wrapped without their plastic film but the stares and questions I'd get to justify this baffles ppl. the Jobsworths would state that it's Company's policy to wrap in plastic and having the stryrofoam trays... :mad::mad::mad: the trays, I'm most annoyed about really as they're not recylable in my area.

btw, i'd rather support local independants, but have no butcher nearby, or else I'd go to them in the first place. Plus have to rely on public transport as can't drive, so the nearest shop is my big Morrisons, I'm afraid on a retail park...

Mojisola

The shop's main worry about this would be that their method keeps cooked meats separate from raw meats. If you used your own containers, they would have no guarantee that cross-contamination wouldn't take place. They probably have visions of customers getting food poisoning, blaming them and ending up in court because the customer's containers leaked blood from raw meat onto the ham on their way home.

dogstarheaven

thanks for your comments, mojisola.. i hadn't really thought about the cross-contamination aspect at all. Surprisingly, only you have responded, whereas I thought my inquiry would at least bring up a couple more reactions from ppl on here. Thought you lot were into recycling/non wasteful type of ppl on here??

Mojisola

It's a difficult business. We find almost all the waste in our bin is food packaging and do try to reduce it. Everything that can be recycled is. If it isn't collected as part of the street collection, we save it and drop it off when we're going by the main recycling centre.

On the other hand, we know the problems that shops face. I remember buying cheese, butter and ham loose and wrapped in greaseproof paper but then I can't imagine anyone in those days sueing a shop if they got food poisoning. Specialist foods like organic fruit and veg have to be packed to reduce fraud which is ironic because "green" goods then become less environmentally-friendly.

cyberbob

Get your meat from a local butchers. You get better quality meat. Get the cuts you want prepared how you want and get far less packaging. It's a win win situation.

Mojisola

cyberbob wrote: »

Get your meat from a local butchers. You get better quality meat. Get the cuts you want prepared how you want and get far less packaging. It's a win win situation.

Only if you're lucky enough to have a local butcher.

dogstarheaven

can't find any within the city, as most butchers nowadays are in farmshops in out of the way places where you need to get in a car to. i go to farmers markets but they're v expensive and they tend to have only the expensive cuts on display. watching River Cottage: Everyday last night was about using cheaper cuts of meats that are organic.. well, that's not possible when there isn't a butcher in the city. If anyone knows of one in Nott'm city, pls let me know! (that is accessible by bus as have no car!).

valk_scot

I take my own bags and containers for fruit and veg. Obviously the checkout person has to weigh the produce loose so this is not ideal for small or dirty items like sprouts or spuds but for apples, bananas etc it's fine...you just pop them in your own bags after. Or make a point of knotting the bags to close them rather than use the sealing machine, then take the bags back to reuse.

For meat I do prefer it wrapped in a layer of plastic for transport, have to say. Drips and juice. I wouldn't even bother trying to provide wrappings in a supermarket tbh. I do keep my rare plastic carrier bags to use at the butcher though and he just passes the packages over to me. Saves him a bag.

My local deli is quite happy to weigh produce like olives etc straight into my own clean Tupperware tubs. As she says she saves a couple of pennies by not providing a tub so what's not to like? You don't need to bag a good seal-down lidded plastic box either.

I always take my own egg boxes when buying loose eggs. And a cloth bag for buying unwrapped bread.

And as for the rest well, most things don't need bags and for the ones that do I carry a small selection of folded up recycled bags at the bottom of my main shopping bag.


TBH I think that supermarkets have Their Methods which they train their staff in and woe betide them if they deviate from them. It's a bit annoying though if it's the only place you can get to easily to shop. How about your local Farmers Market once a month, by bus? Usually the produce there is excellent.