Originally Posted by
Browngirl
Please forgive me if am posting this twice. One reason they do what they do is because some people were returning the items back to the store for cash. Another is that the company's don't give them credit for or accept the products back. The resturants do the same thing. Because if they gave you food and you say it made you sick they get sued. It is not a good way to do but these are their reasons. They won't donate them to a school, senior home or anything.
Icee
This is a BIG misconception - they can not get sued - there is such a thing as a Good Samaritan Law
"The "Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act" (Public Law 104-210) makes it easier for businesses to donate to food banks and food rescue programs. It protects donors from liability when donating to nonprofit organizations and protects donors from civil and criminal liability should the product donated in good faith later cause harm to the needy recipient.
The law also sets a liability floor of "gross negligence" or intentional misconduct for persons who donate grocery products. It recognizes that the provision of food close to recommended date of sale is, in and of itself, not grounds for finding gross negligence. For example, cereal can be donated if it is marked close to code date for retail sale.
Food banks also protect their donors by offering a variety of liability protections, including strict standards of warehouse operation, proper storage and handling procedures, complete product tracking and recall capabilities, and accurate and timely receipting. "
So there is NO excuse for food being wasted. The stores that care find a way to get it in the hands of food shelves and people who need it.