One Texas woman stumbled upon a treasure trove of frozen food after a storm knocked out a grocery store’s power.
In a minute-long viral TikTok, @dumpsterdivingmama arrives at the dumpster and exclaims, “Uncrustables? Stop it! Still cold.”
“Look at all of it,” she continues as she pans across several dumpsters full of food. Some notable brands include Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Stouffer’s, Eggo, and Toaster Strudel. She also notes that there are shopping carts full of food, and one of the dumpsters is full of cake from the bakery.
“Sheesh! Grocery shopping out the trunk,” she says, showing viewers the groceries she loaded into her car. “Spicy chicken melts! Dude, that’s the Hot Ones chicken strips,” she adds, commenting on some of the items she and her companion found.
‘That could feed so many hungry people’
In the comments section, people were critical of the store for throwing away food that could’ve been given to the less fortunate.
One viewer wrote, “People going hungry in America, and they’re just throwing away good food as opposed to giving it away.”
A second said, “It’s sad cause they could really feed the homeless with all that instead of throwing it away.”
Another wrote, “OMG yet there are children in Africa who go to bed on an empty tummy … and here they are throwing food away.”
However, some pointed out that throwing away the food was a necessity.
One viewer said, “Just because it’s ‘still cold’ doesn’t mean it’s safe. Things could’ve been in the ‘danger zone’ for hours and then refrigeration kicked back in.”
A second wrote, “Long time worker in the grocery retail space. It’s terrible, but there are times where actions aren’t taken quick enough to ‘save’ the food. If the refrigeration goes down in a store and stuff goes above the threshold temperature for a certain amount of time (41 for refrigerated foods, 32 for frozen foods, 0-10 degrees for ice cream) you can’t just put it back in refrigeration and pray. People can get sick. These things that still ‘Feel cold’ could have been above temp for hours, but still feel cold relative to outside temps. This does not mean it is appropriate to sell or donate. Hope this helps clear things up.”
As her name suggests, @dumpsterdivingmama does this a lot
This isn’t the first time the TikToker has gone viral for her dumpster diving content. The Mary Sue previously covered another viral video of hers where she was dumpster diving behind a Target and also stumbled upon copious quantities of refrigerated food.
Is dumpster diving safe?
As The Mary Sue previously reported, “Dumpster diving exposes you to various health hazards. Dumpsters contain bacteria, viruses, and harmful chemicals. These can cause serious infections or illnesses. Sharp objects can lead to cuts, and you might also encounter pests like rats, raccoons, and insects. These safety concerns should not be taken lightly.”
Moreover, dumpster diving can be considered trespassing in some areas. If you take something, it may be considered theft, so if caught, you may face fines or arrest.
@dumpsterdivingmama THIS WAS CRAZY!!! AFTER A STORM. ? #dumpsterdiving #DUMPSTERDIVER #dumpsterdivingmama #dumpsterdiversoftexas ♬ original sound – ᴅᴜᴍᴘꜱᴛᴇʀᴅɪᴠɪɴɢᴍᴀᴍᴀ
The Mary Sue contacted @dumpsterdivingmama via email and TikTok comment.
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