An old man recently appeared in the headlines in Singapore after customers at the Chinatown’s People’s Park Food Centre spotted him eating leftover food.
On a closer look however, it later emerged that the man did so not because of hunger, but because he couldn’t bear to see untouched food being tossed into the trash.
Old man seen eating leftovers at SG food court
The incident was brought to light by a Shin Min Daily News reader, who alerted the Chinese daily of the old man who not only ate leftovers off the table but also scavenged for food in the tray return areas.
When a reporter from the news outlet went to the food court, they saw the old man carrying a cup of sugarcane drink, a cup of orange juice, a bag of bananas and a packet of fried noodles.
They then followed him to an area near the Chinatown MRT station exit, where he took out some cardboard and placed it on the ground before settling in to enjoy his meal.
‘Food’s still warm & I don’t want to waste it’
During a conversation with the old man surnamed Wang, the former told the reporter that he started roaming around Chinatown not too long ago, adding that he came to the area as he found it “lively”.
When asked about him eating leftover food at the food court, Wang conceded that it was a habit of his but explained the reason behind it.
It’s not because I don’t have money to buy food. I just don’t want to see food go to waste. I often see people leave large portions of food behind.
“The food is still warm and it’s such a waste. That’s why I eat them,” he added.
According to a hawker at the food court, Wang’s not the only person to look for uneaten food, saying that he sees three to four elderly people feasting on leftovers every day.
Not hygienic to eat leftovers
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, founder of the anti-waste group Freegan in Singapore Daniel Tay said that it’s not wise for one to consume leftover food left in the open as it may be contaminated and carries a high risk of food poisoning.
He then suggested that one should ask diners if they can leave the uneaten food while they are still at the table and explain why they don’t want to waste the food.
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