The smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the supermarket bakery aisle is enough to tempt a crowd of customers to raid a shelf in seconds in search of the perfect crusty bread.
But the idea that several buyers are hovering over unpackaged bread left out in the open is enough to put many people off buying baked goods, as discussed in a heated debate on Reddit on Sunday.
A suspicious buyer began sharing his concerns on the r/CasualUK subreddit, in a mail Since then, it has garnered more than 700 upvotes and 330 comments from other foodies.
The restless customer asked, “Does anyone agree that it is strange for bakery bread to be uncovered and unwrapped for the masses to touch?”
The Reddit user went on to explain that they are not as concerned about tubers and other food products that are typically displayed without packaging, because they can be peeled, washed, or cooked before eating.
The idea of multiple buyers hovering over bread left in plain sight is enough to make many people stop buying baked goods, as discussed in a heated debate on Reddit (file photo).
They said, ‘I don’t care if they’re tubers because I peel them and cook them, whereas with bread I would eat the crust, the biofilm and everything.’
Many shoppers agreed with the person and shared their own experiences of witnessing customers spread germs by “coughing and sneezing” or not washing their hands before touching objects.
One wrote: ‘I went shopping with a friend the other day. They squeezed out all the bread with dirty hands. When you see the state of supermarket bathrooms and how few people wash their hands (half of those who do simply get wet quickly without soap).
‘It’s not so snobbish to be intimidated by open food when most of them are lazy. I would look for food covered in dirt and natural dirt, but tiger bread with extra particles of excrement? Note.’
Another noted that there could be cross-contamination problems for people with allergies if those who touch the bread have not washed their hands properly.
Others, however, couldn’t understand why people are so worried about buying bread that might be contaminated with someone’s germs.
One person wrote: “You’re breathing in all kinds of shit compared to the occasional person touching your bark,” while another joked: “You’ve got an immune system, right?” Use it!’
Another added: Frankly, it’s crazy. This obsession with a sterile environment is both an illusion and only a recent invention.’
Someone living in Japan warned that things can go too far and we risk ending up with even more packaging waste.
“I’m living in Japan right now and they’ve taken this to new extremes,” they explained.
‘Everything is wrapped in plastic, even the individually wrapped bananas. Everything that is not plastic, like some baked goods and some fruits and vegetables in the supermarket, when you pay for it at the checkout they put it in 1 or 2 layers of plastic, whether you want it or not.
‘You buy an onigiri (already wrapped in plastic) at a convenience store and then they put it in another plastic bag before even asking you if you want a carrying bag too.
One neutral person wrote: “Personally it doesn’t bother me much, but I can definitely understand the mentality.”
Meanwhile, skeptical shoppers revealed their reasons for avoiding unpackaged bread, with one person explaining: “If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that there are sections of the general public who lack basic personal hygiene.”
“Just yesterday I went to a public bathroom and saw that at least two people were not washing their hands.”
Another wrote: “People are disgusting, if given unrestricted access to food, people will maliciously or idiotically sneeze into food, lick utensils back, contaminate food, or use unwashed hands to handle food. the food”.
Many shoppers shared their own experiences of witnessing customers spreading germs, while others criticized people’s decision to refrain from buying bread that could be contaminated.
A final distrustful hospitality worker warned: ‘I have worked in food service, I will never eat food that has been left out in the open.
“People are coughing and sputtering, rubbing their noses and running their fingers through their hair, brushing rain or dust or dander off their clothes… and that’s before they even start digging into their food.”