Disgusting and Dangerous: Food and Product Tampering on Social Media

This post is by Bernie Carr, apartmentprepper.com

A few days ago, I had read about this girl licking Blue Bell ice cream at a grocery store freezer section then putting it back on the shelf and laughing about it. She posted this act on social media where it quickly went viral.  As a result, Blue Bell has had to recall their product from entire areas in search of the contaminated item.  Subsequent articles indicated she has been identified by the police but because she is not a minor, she has not been publicly identified.

I was appalled and disgusted by this behavior and was glad to hear the perpetrator is facing consequences.  But that is not the end of the story.

I thought this was an isolated case, brought on by a desire for attention by one stupid person. Unfortunately, it is not. It turns out this is a trend in social media of people posting videos or photos of themselves tampering with food or products on store shelves.  I heard about other cases when I watched this video:

Woman who licked tub of ice cream faces 20 years in prison

If even a handful of shameless and stupid people are posting this, no doubt there are copycats. Social media has a way of bringing out and encouraging this bad behavior because of the notoriety it brings.  There are also some sick or deranged people out there that may do this not just for fame but also to hurt others such as this man who has already been arrested twice.

How do you protect yourself?

I am posting about this because people need to know how to protect themselves for eating or using products that have been tampered with.  If you were to bring home an item that has been licked or touched there is no telling what type of germs you might ingest. This is a health hazard in the making.

Here are some quick tips to protect yourself and your family:

At the store:

• Know what your item’s packaging is supposed to look like.
• Inspect the product before putting it in your cart. Are there any tears on the package? Is the item you picked up in the wrong shelf and appears to have been left there randomly?
• Check the seals and safety features in the bottle or box. Never buy any boxed item that appears to have been opened, or bottle whose lid has popped up, even if it has been marked down.
• Check the expiration dates of the group of products – do they all match up? An item that does not appear to belong with the rest of the items may be suspicious.

At home

• Sometimes you might buy and item for later and may not open it until a few days later. If you open an item for the first time but it appears to have already been opened before, don’t use it.
• Do not use any products that have an odd or bad smell, appear used or look like they have something wrong with them.
• Keep your receipts. If you discover an item you purchased has been tampered with, report it to the store as soon as possible. You can also get your money back.

I really hope these people that are perpetrating these crimes (yes this is criminal behavior) get caught and face consequences.  But if they’re minors, it’s possible they may not. Just be aware this is going on and be vigilant about the food and products that you buy.

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About the author:
Bernie Carr is the founder of Apartment Prepper. She has written several books including the best-selling Prepper’s Pocket Guide, Jake and Miller’s Big Adventure, The Penny-Pinching Prepper and How to Prepare for Most Emergencies on a $50 a Month Budget. Her work appears in sites such as the Allstate Blog and Clark.com, as well as print magazines such as Backwoods Survival Guide and Prepper Survival Guide. She has been featured in national publications such as Fox Business and Popular Mechanics. Learn more about Bernie here.

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