I've learned to check the expiration dates on food donations at the senior center

debodun said:
This week there was a bag of granola on the give-away table. I like granola and was going to take it, but the expiration date was September 2011. Why do people leave things like that?
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Oh my! I was going to remind you that "best by" and "expiration date" are different... but then I saw the 2011 and all bets are off. :ROFLMAO: So someone had that just hanging out in the pantry for nearly 14.5 years. I shouldn't laugh, but good gracious! :oops:
 
2011 - That’s disgusting!

I’m feeling guilty because I found a bag of Bob’s Gluten Free Flour. Oct 2024. I didn’t know when or why I bought it. This wasn’t cheap and I’d like to find some place to donate it. Many places won’t take anything with an expired BB date.
 

That Lady in PA said:
Yeah, grandma or old aunt Betty dies, and the heirs think it is a good idea to donate all the items in the house to a food bank, rather than dispose of the outdated and opened stuff..

All that does is cost the food bank disposal fees. So selfish on the heirs part.
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I presume that the entire pantry was emptied and brought for distribution and in the process they unknowingly brought an out of date item.

They made the extra effort to not throw useable food out so how can one logically presume a selfish intent?

Why presume the worst about other people, until proven otherwise?

Does it make one feel better about themselves to do so?
 
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CaliS said:
That's terrible!!!! I find expired things at the grocery store too ... :confused:
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Yes, just the other day I was buying salad dressing, checked the expiration date on a whim and noticed it had expired a few months ago.

Given the price of groceries these days, I want everything I buy to be fresh. If it had been on sale, or in a discount bin, that would have been a different story.

Edit: Sorry, just noticed this thread specifies "the senior center," so I guess I'm a bit off topic.
 
againstthegrain said:
I presume that the entire pantry was emptied and brought for distribution and in the process they unknowingly brought an out of date item.

They made the extra effort to not throw useable food out so how can one logically presume a selfish intent?

Why presume the worst about other people, until proven otherwise?

Does it make one feel better about themselves to do so?
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Good point, maybe it was just a mistake. If it happens all the time, though, they do need to do something to prevent it. Some of us have a really hard time seeing those expiration dates :)
 
January said:
A big sign something like Please check expiry dates before donating might be helpful.
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Yeah… that and please do not drop off opened products.
The signs exist.

People don’t care. They swoop in from out of town and want to quickly clear out a house and go home. Pile pantry items into a large trash bag, drop it off, have others deal with it.
 
againstthegrain said:
I presume that the entire pantry was emptied and brought for distribution and in the process they unknowingly brought an out of date item.

They made the extra effort to not throw useable food out so how can one logically presume a selfish intent?

Why presume the worst about other people, until proven otherwise?

Does it make one feel better about themselves to do so?
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We presume the 'worst of people' because this happens so much at our local food pantry, library (people give/take food items and clothing at our library), and other spots in town where food is left. It's the same story for all charities --- people dump items at Restore, Salvation Army, and recycle centers. It's kind of like the 'fly tipping' problem in the U.K. Maybe a few people feel better about themselves, but I believe this is mostly a let's get rid of something the easy way.
 
I fed my kids 12 year old Vegemite that I found at the back of the cupboard on their school sandwiches, they survived.


What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
 
I get rid of any food if it's past the expiration date, or "best if used by" date. I sometimes get rid of it even if those dates are just getting close. We've been told the food is still good for longer, but I don't care - I don't want it. The times I've actually destroyed such items are very few because I keep close tabs on my supplies. I want a good mental attitude about what I'm eating, and I feel uncomfortable with even a remote uncertainty.
 
It seems to me that the job of monitoring the expiration dates and quality or appropriateness of the donations should rest with the sponsoring organization.

A quick check of new arrivals might prevent an illness or a lawsuit.

I think that may be why some small groups are pulling back when it comes to having small grassroots donation areas. It’s just another little thankless job that takes time away from their primary mission.
 
The food isn't donated by groceries or charity orgs. It's what someone else mentioned - someone cleans out their kitchen cabinets (or a are doing an estate) and they bring the items down to the give-away tables at the senior center. The senior center here has apartment 40 units attached.

They used to have great food give-aways. Trader Joe's or Aldi's sent over donations - all good stuff. It stopped about 2 years ago. I asked why they stopped and was informed that all food from stores now goes to the main public food pantry (which is open at hours not convenient to me).
 

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