The smell of freshly baked bread wafting from the supermarket bakery aisle is enough to tempt a crowd of customers into ransacking a shelf in seconds for the perfect crusty loaf.
But, the thought of multiple shoppers hovering over unpackaged bread left out in the open is enough to turn a number of people off buying the baked goods, as discussed in a heated Reddit debate on Sunday.
One suspicious shopper took to sharing their concerns in the subreddit r/CasualUK, in a post that has since garnered over 700 upvotes and 330 comments from fellow foodies.
The unsettled customer asked: ‘Anyone agree it’s odd that bakery bread is uncovered and unpackaged to be fingered by the masses?’
The Reddit user went on to explain that they are not as concerned with root vegetables and other food products typically displayed without packaging, beause they can be peeled, washed or cooked before eating.
The thought of multiple shoppers hovering over bread left out in the open is enough to turn a number of people off buying the baked goods, as discussed in a heated Reddit debate (stock photo)
They said: ‘I don’t mind if it’s root veg because I peel and cook it, whereas with bread I would be eating the crust, biofilm and all.’
Many shoppers agreed with the individual, and shared their own experiences of witnessing customers spreading 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 all the bread with their dirty hands. When you see the state of supermarket toilets and how few people wash their hands, (half those that do just go for the quick wet no soap).
‘It’s not that snobbish to be put off by uncovered food when the majority are slobs. I’d forage food covered in soil and natural dirt but tiger loaf with extra poo particles? Nah ta.’
Another pointed out that there could be cross-contamination issues for people with allergies if those touching the bread have not washed their hands properly.
Others, however, could not understand why people are so worried about buying bread that may be contaminated with someone’s germs.
One person wrote, ‘You’re breathing all sorts of cr** compared to the odd person touching your crust,’ while another quipped, ‘You’ve got an immune system haven’t you? Use it!’
Another added: It’s nuts frankly. This obsession with a sterile environment is both an illusion and only a recent invention.’
Someone who lives in Japan warned that things can go to far and we’re at risk of ending up with even more packaging waste.
‘I’m living in Japan at the moment and they’ve taken this to new extremes,’ they explained.
‘Everything is wrapped in plastic, even individually wrapped bananas. Anything that isn’t in plastic, like some bakery items and some fruit and veg at the supermarket, when you pay for it at the checkout they put it in 1 or 2 layers of plastic whether you want them to or not.
‘You buy an onigiri (already plastic wrapped) at a convenience store and then they put it in another plastic bag for you before even asking if you want a carrier bag as well.
A neutral individual wrote: ‘I’m not that bothered personally, but can definitely understand the mindset.’
Meanwhile, sceptical shoppers revealed their reasons for avoiding unpackaged bread, with one person explaining: ‘If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that there are portions of the general public who are lacking in basic personal hygiene.
‘Even just yesterday, I used a public bathroom and saw at least two people not wash their hands.’
Another wrote: ‘People are disgusting, if given unrestricted access to food people will either maliciously or idiotically sneeze into food, lick utensils and put them back, cross contaminate foods or use unwashed hands to handle the food.’
Many shoppers shared their own experiences of witnessing customers spreading germs while others criticised people’s choice to refrain from buying bread that may be contaminated
A final distrusting hospitality worker warned: ‘I have worked in food service, I will never eat food that has been left out in the open.
‘People cough and splutter, rub their noses and run their fingers through their hair, they brush all the rain or dust or dandruff off their clothes… that’s before they’ve even started rummaging through the food.’
