Wednesday, November 7, 2012

That's not right

I've always been suspicious of those open containers of bulk goods in the supermarket. Rice, flour, sugar, cookies, gretchka, all just sitting uncovered in a big box, waiting for a consumer to scoop some up in a bag, weigh it, slap on a price tag, and take it home. How do you stop dirt and icky things from getting in? I mean, I've seen birds flying around in the supermarket! What if they snack on the food or, worse, begin aerial bombardment?

And then, the remodel started.
Now I definitely don't trust the uncovered bulk products.

A local supermarket decided to do a major overhaul several weeks ago. First the parking lot was walled off and filled up with equipment, trailers, and lumber.


Goods began to be moved around in the supermarket, re-stacked in gigantic piles or thrown in large bins. Then the actual construction began. New walls have been built, men in work clothes and hard hats roam the aisles and mingle with the shoppers. Last week everything I brought home from the store was covered in a layer of dust from all the sawing and drilling.

Yesterday we stopped at the store. It turned out to be the quickest shopping trip of my life! There was a terrible smell inside, an overpowering acrid stench of acetone and sawdust. A shooting headache immediately blossomed behind my temples. The sawdust was more than just a smell- I could feel tiny particles entering my body with each breath. They coated my tongue and tickled my nose. We hastily scanned the shelves for what we needed. All the boxes and jars were coated in dust, thick enough to draw my initials or leave a 'wash me' plea on the lid. Our final stop was near the bulk goods, and that's when I saw them. A heap of white flour, a mound of buckwheat, piles of dry goods with no covering. If the pasta box in my hand is painted in remodelling grime, there's no way the flour avoided the same fate. So seriously, what's the deal? Why wouldn't the store cover those products, especially during all the heavy construction? Are people still going to buy the products? Do they think baking will nullify any extra ingredients?

2 comments:

  1. In Kiev at our local Billa they are in big plastic (covered) containers. Will take a picture next time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ours are a 50/50 mixture of covered and uncovered. The cookies and loose tea are usually covered but the rest are not :(

      Delete