Sometimes I feel this way when I’m in convenience stores, everything is made to last FOREVER, and often it’s been on the shelf for that long.
When you think about the last hundred years, and our eating largely being shaped by companies wanting food to last: both to ship it, let it sit on shelves longer, and so people will buy more of it… and if you’re critical of our modern diet for it’s highly processed foods and lack of nutrition, a convenience store really is the epitome of that.
Well, an epitome is the “highest” example of something, and thus has a LOT of it…so obviously it’s *convenient*…
That “lack of nutrition” aspect is why the only reason I go to convenience stores is for coffee. Though one could argue about the nutritional value of coffee, too! ;)
I was always frightened to find CEREAL with an expiration date a year away from the current date. Made me wonder how long it had been setting in a warehouse until it actually reached the supermarket. =P
Convenience and corner stores are the worst about having unexpired canned goods covered in a thick layer of dust, too.