It’s no secret that plenty of people in America right now are relying on food banks to survive, which is why seeing food go to waste is such a modern tragedy to behold. It’s a tragedy that one worker from California couldn’t help but point out once more after he was tasked with throwing out mountains of edible, unexpired food that no one bought. His video has since gone viral and even raised debates about food wastage.
TikTok user babyshmop aka FeddiiBoii from Sacramento, California, is the worker in question, and on July 16, he posted a video of his task at work where he had to throw out multiple large containers full of food such as salads, sandwiches, fruit, and even beverages. The TikTok user had to rant about the absurdity of the situation. “Instead of throwing it into the trash, why not let us take this home or actually donate this to the homeless?” questions the man.
“If we attempt to take this home, we get fired for it… that is crazy,” adds the TikTok user. The worker also clarified that most of what he throws is still allegedly good for consumption, “It’s still like five days left on this, that is crazy bro.” The worker hasn’t clarified where he works, but the logo and branding on the food, particularly the sandwiches, appear to be from 7-Eleven.
People online have argued about the consequences
Food waste is nothing new for US corporations, of course. Every year, an estimated 30 to 40 percent of the US’s total food supply is wasted, mostly by consumer-facing businesses such as grocery stores, restaurants, and other food services. This wastage translates to over $218 billion lost annually. Oftentimes, food that’s leftover, close to expiration, or already expired is thrown out.
Commenters were quick to point out one potential reason: “Lawsuit if food goes bad,” where people might sue businesses for food poisoning. However, there’s actually a federal law that allows restaurants to donate leftover food without getting sued. It’s called the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act.
Others blamed something else, writing, “Because the companies, the billionaires will not make money. If they give it away for free, the only thing that is keeping the billionaires happy is our ignorance,” while another commenter with a similar sentiment also said, “corporate greed angers me real bad.” In any case, people who were aware of the Bill Emerson Food Act couldn’t help but point out the grim state of things, “all of those animals died for nothing, all of those grains harvested for nothing, cows milked for nothing… this is so evil.”
