Is throwing food out mortal sin

[spirocatania]

i have been struggling with this problem for a while.
i work at a supermarket and as you prob know supermarkets throw out food.
when i have to throw away food i always feel guilty that what i am doing is so wrong because their are millions around the world going hungry. yet the things i throw away are thrown out due to the use by date and things that dont look good or customers will not buy becase it doesn’t look fresh. i work in a deli and seafood department of a supermarket.
i dont want to get anyone seek or kill anyone but i do not want to offen GOD when maybe something does not look good but can still be eaten. am i committing motal sin

 

[Lorrie]

I don’t think it is. You said it yourself, you don’t want to get someone sick (or even worse kill someone), and with foods like seafood it can be incredibly dangerous. The “sell by” date is there for a reason, as you already know.

If throwing out food is a mortal sin then the line at confession would be a mile long since almost all of us are wasteful with food in some way.

 

[roveau]

It’s not a mortal sin. You are required by your bosses to do your job and your bosses are required by law to do their job and see to it that out of date and spoiled food are dumped.

It is a pity though. Some companies donate their safe but slightly ‘not fresh’ food to homeless shelters… but even under such circumstances they are taking a legal risk.

Rove

 

[Newbie2]

I agree, it is nowhere near a mortal sin.

Some supermarkets have set up deals with food banks or “soup kitchens” to allow them to have food that is still good or near expiration rather than throwing it out. Our local Walmart does that for baked goods.

 

[slywakka250]

No…

 

[Greg27]

You might want to look at ways how you can save such food for the needy. In Australia at least, churches and secular charities often have special collections for food donations, particularly around Christmas. You could also ask your priest what needs there are among the needy the parish services and how you can help. Usually near a Catholic church there is also either a school or a community care centre and no doubt they need donations of food and clothing and other items. In my view, rather than dwelling on mortal sin, you should just think about how given your skills and participation and connections you have to your church, you can help out with their needs and helping the wider community.

 

[spirocatania]

i know what you mean but it hard to ask the church when i work for the largest supermarket company in australia. it not what i say, i’m nothing there. they used to give things to charty before but they stoped because charties where complaing that some where getting and others dont so they stoped everything and recently they started it again but i think just to try it out. but the department i work in the fresh food and they dont allow to ghive these kinds of food away.

 

[The_Otaku]

In my opinion I would say no, in your case. In your case, it’s your duty to throw out expired food as it is being thrown out with good reason and good cause. What isn’t good for financially stable people to eat isn’t good for the homeless and destitute to eat either, so it’s not wasteful when you consider what you’d be giving them is possibly tainted. While it is sad to realize some would gladly accept tainted or spoiled food even at the risk of sickness because they’re starving to death, we owe it to them to not give them THAT food, but rather provide for their needs by another way- others have mentioned donations and other worthy causes as examples.

I think you may be confusing this with is being wasteful. In general, being wasteful can be sinful, especially when one lives abundantly, but not in this case, as you’re doing others a service by NOT giving them the food.