An anonymous man from London (going by the handle food_waste_inspector) has started posting videos on Instagram and TikTok of major store brands throwing out perfectly good food. He’s exposed chains such as Lidl, Boots, and Marks & Spencer for disposing of fresh produce, undamaged cans, and even a case of sealed wine! Lidl thanked “the Food Waste Inspector for drawing attention to this issue,” and pledged to work with the specific store locations to remedy the problem going forward. Not all companies responded in the same way, though. Waitrose (a British supermarket chain) came under criticism for throwing out meat before the date on the label. However, a spokesperson explained that the meat in question had been unrefrigerated for an extended period of time, making it unsafe to eat.

While I’m not a fan of public shaming, it’s a positive thing that companies are looking more closely into their waste. However, as demonstrated by the Waitrose response, the man finding the discarded food has no idea how or why it ended up in the trash. Additionally, I don’t trust most of what I see online nowadays, so I’m naturally skeptical of anything he posts and whether it’s real.

Brady, Jon. “Food waste vigilante says supermarkets are throwing out perfectly good wine and in-date food as Waitrose, M&S and Lidl launch investigations.” Daily Mail, 21 Jan. 2026. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15483991/food-waste-inspector-vigilante-supermarkets-food-wine.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.