Discount food shopping for damaged or discontinued products

ABC News reported today about the growing trend of salvage grocery stores, grocers where customers can get deals on damaged, dented and discontinued food products.  Some of these products are past or near their expiration dates.

It is a sad statement that the people of this country are reduced to buying damaged, dented and discontinued food products - past or near expiration - to feed their families.  If families are forced to buy cheap food just to fill the stomach, it's no wonder our health problems - obesity in particular - are rampant.

We need to reform more than just health care in this country. We need to teach our kids about the relationship of the farm and the land to our foods as well as how to prepare whole foods and how to eat better.  Further, we need to provide good food to all people, not just those whose wallets are fat enough to purchase organic and fresh.

I am apalled by salvage groceries on two counts.  One, it smacks of manufacturers profiting off the desperation of the poor and two, it continues to promote cheap, processed food and therefore poorer nutrition.

While there is no evidence the food is harmful, it's common knowledge (or should be) that badly dented cans could harbor the growth of botulism, serious food poisoning with the potential to cause death.

If the food is safe, then perhaps it could be put to better use by filling the shelves of food banks (but there's no profit in that for the manufacturers).  

The larger question we need to ask is where's the deal in perpetuating low quality food and poor food choices. The money we save now will surely come out of pocket later in poor health and higher medical bills.

Photo Credit: Daily Mail

Comments

[jason]

This sounds like their service that couldn't fulfill several needs.

Jason Zenteno