Health
From Trashwiki
Health is important to all of us. Food that on the first sight has some bad spots usually can very well be eaten, although some precautions should be taken. Dumpster divers often scavenge some food that is partially rotten, unripened, or overripe. Each potentially compromised item has its own set of warning signs.
Eggs that have passed their expiration date are often quite fine to eat for some time - just use the float test method to determine if they are still safe to eat. Fill a deep bowl with water and place the egg in it - if it sinks, it's OK to eat, but if it floats it is bad.
green spots on potatoes indicate the presence of a rather harmful toxin, solanine, which should be avoided.
Persimmons, high in glucose and Riboflavin (Vit. B2), should not be eaten unripened or in large quantities though as this can cause serious health problems; it is also recommended not to eat persimmons on an empty stomach (see more detailed info here).
In general, if you engage in dumpster diving, it is common sense to refrain from partaking of any obviously rotten food. Some overly soft fruits and vegetables, however, can still be salvageable once rid of suspicious spots. It should also be noted, that the expiration date and shelf life on a product is often an inaccurate marker for whether or not an item is edible. Pasteurized milk, for example, may remain fresh for five days after its sell-by date if it is refrigerated properly. When dumpster diving food that is expired, a careful observation will often tell you if something is amiss. In most cases the smell of bad juice or milk is instantly recognizable.
info needed about how to treat recovered foods after you bring them home - please edit this page
Furniture should be inspected for bedbugs, especially furniture from dorms since so many people move in and out of there. Bedbugs will hide in almost everything, and people often freak out and throw furniture away once they find an infestation (and infestations can happen anywhere). Check for bedbugs before you bring anything inside, and keep mattresses in a plastic wrap for dust mites with duct tape over the zipper.
Be careful and try to not let any hitchhike home on you.
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