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Is It OK To Eat Grocery Store Food Before Buying It?

Wes

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I saw some people arguing about this on Facebook and I wanted to know what SARP thinks: Is it okay to start eating the grocery store's products before you've bought them?
 
Solution
Hard no. Mostly because eating in a grocery store isn't hygienic, plus its technically stealing because you're consuming something you have not paid for yet. What if your card declines and you've eaten the product?
Hard no. Mostly because eating in a grocery store isn't hygienic, plus its technically stealing because you're consuming something you have not paid for yet. What if your card declines and you've eaten the product?
 
Solution
Legal issues (shoplifting) aside I'm thinking that it's lack of manners to roam around grazing. Civilized people eat seated at a table, not wandering around leaving a trail of crumbs, spills, germs, or garbage.

Honestly, I literally don't want to see or hear other people eat (it has always bugged me for some reason), especially where food ingredients are stored. It's gross.

That said, there's always some exceptions and I think the soda fountain drinks are one (I mean they offer refills). Some stores have a place to eat like a coffee shop or fast food up front.

Anyway my point is folks should sit and eat. The Army knows this, which is why it's in the regulations not to eat and walk in uniform (along with other non-classy behaviors that make you look bad). So I'm on the "don't eat in the store" camp on this issue.
 
I remember as a kid mum would give me some grapes as we went around.

These days if I'm thirsty I'll grab a drink from the fridge, drink it in the queue and still pay for it.

Its not a hard no for me, I draw the line at grapes and drinks.
 
Eating produce before you’ve got it home and washed it sounds like a way to ingest all sorts of awful things
 
Never been a fan of opening packages or bottles before you pay for them. I think the limit for me is plucking a grape or strawberry from that top part of the cart. Anything else is too much.
 
As an AI, I don't have personal opinions or beliefs, but I can provide you with some perspectives on this topic.

From a moral standpoint, it is generally considered unethical to consume grocery store products before purchasing them. By doing so, you would be essentially consuming something without paying for it, which goes against the principles of fairness and honesty. It could also be seen as stealing, as you are benefiting from the store's products without providing compensation.

Additionally, engaging in this behavior can negatively impact other customers and the store itself. It may lead to a loss of revenue for the store, which can have consequences for their ability to provide high-quality products and maintain reasonable prices. It could also create inconvenience for other customers who may find the depleted or damaged products remaining on the shelves.

It is worth noting that some grocery stores may have policies allowing customers to sample certain products before purchasing, such as food items that are prepared in-store. However, these policies are usually clearly defined and may not apply to all products.

In conclusion, it is generally considered socially and morally unacceptable to consume grocery store products before buying them. It is best to respect the store's policies and pay for products before enjoying them.
 
Use to be a no, then I got a kid who likes grapes and has turned into a maybe. Though she is growing out of this pretty quick so not so much a topic as much anymore.

If my greatest sin is skimming a few grapes off the top for my kid, I feel I am doing pretty good in life.
 
TL:DR grocery stores and their food are extreme bacteria hotspots and eating anything from them, even grazing, is not healthy especially for children.

As a rule I don't. But not due to any ethical reasons (If you see someone shoplifting; no you didnt!) but more because as someone who has worked in food service professionally in the past, in a grocery store as a butcher, as well as in a factory where chicken is processed I have had a lot of exposure to just how our food is treated from the moment it comes in still alive in some cases to where it ends up on the shelves.

Some of it is pretty gross and if you knew you wouldn't ever look at your food the same way.

But for the most part anything that goes in my cart doesnt go near my face. If it can be washed like a meat, fruit, vegitable, etc. It gets washed. If it's one of the quick and ready hot foods from the Deli I don't even touch those unless they are willing to make it for me fresh and I know it hasnt been sitting under a heat lamp at bellow 165f for thirty-forty minutes.

The best way I can describe it is to picture any unpackaged food as having been touched by hundreds of people with unwashed hands, or having small issues like unseen mould on fruit you don't notice, soft spots, chemical sprays and things you should wash off or notice first. For packaged things understand that most raw foods or perishables havent been washed since the factory and are sitting in their juices for several days as bacteria builds up on the surface level and even the sell by date is just a standard and not a guarentee. While for ready-to-eat foods most time arent actually good to eat when sitting in open air or in a mostly sealed container because bacteria floating around from hundreds of people walking by and coughing/sneezing/farting/sick is contaminating them and you should reheat that food up to 165+ if you intend to eat it.
 
Produce? No because that's something you pay for by weight and grazing means you're not paying for the full item. Not to mention hygiene concerns. I will not eat produce that I haven't personally washed. Snacks that come pre-packaged? I eat in-store and pay at checkout all the time because I make stupid decisions with my money when I'm hangry and I'd rather fix that with a bag of jerky while I shop. My position is that if I'm paying for something anyway I'll eat it whenever I want as long as it doesn't need to be weighed at the time of purchase to determine the price. If the store I'm in has a policy against that I'll shop elsewhere. Because I make stupid financial decisions when hungry and I've got a family of four to shop for.
 
TL:DR grocery stores and their food are extreme bacteria hotspots and eating anything from them, even grazing, is not healthy especially for children.

As a rule I don't. But not due to any ethical reasons (If you see someone shoplifting; no you didnt!) but more because as someone who has worked in food service professionally in the past, in a grocery store as a butcher, as well as in a factory where chicken is processed I have had a lot of exposure to just how our food is treated from the moment it comes in still alive in some cases to where it ends up on the shelves.

Some of it is pretty gross and if you knew you wouldn't ever look at your food the same way.

But for the most part anything that goes in my cart doesnt go near my face. If it can be washed like a meat, fruit, vegitable, etc. It gets washed. If it's one of the quick and ready hot foods from the Deli I don't even touch those unless they are willing to make it for me fresh and I know it hasnt been sitting under a heat lamp at bellow 165f for thirty-forty minutes.

The best way I can describe it is to picture any unpackaged food as having been touched by hundreds of people with unwashed hands, or having small issues like unseen mould on fruit you don't notice, soft spots, chemical sprays and things you should wash off or notice first. For packaged things understand that most raw foods or perishables havent been washed since the factory and are sitting in their juices for several days as bacteria builds up on the surface level and even the sell by date is just a standard and not a guarentee. While for ready-to-eat foods most time arent actually good to eat when sitting in open air or in a mostly sealed container because bacteria floating around from hundreds of people walking by and coughing/sneezing/farting/sick is contaminating them and you should reheat that food up to 165+ if you intend to eat it.
If i see someone shoplifting I'm off duty, it's not my issue.
 
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