Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry

Re:Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry by danielvf on Tuesday May 03, 2016 @09:54AM (#11620626)

Gleaning was more about allowing the poor to have inefficient access to the raw materials that with hard work could be made into food. Taking prepared food from a merchant would have still been a crime.

For example "People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, but if he is caught, he will pay esevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house."

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Re:Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry by emodendroket on Tuesday May 03, 2016 @10:01AM (#11620716)

I'm not sure that the ancient Israelites had many places you could go get "prepared food," but the Bible also says you should leave behind grapes for the poor which clearly do not need preparation.

e: Previously I claimed that olives don't need preparation which is false. Sorry.

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Re:Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry by mrob on Tuesday May 03, 2016 @10:49AM (#11621152)

Most olive varieties are extremely bitter and need to be cured before they're considered edible. However, the bitterness is attributed to oleuropein, which people take in high doses without harm as olive leaf extract, so it seems likely that raw olives are not dangerous. And if you're willing to eat raw olives that's good evidence that you really are starving.

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Re:Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry by knodi123 on Tuesday May 03, 2016 @10:41AM (#11621092)

> olives for the poor which clearly do not need preparation

Olives cannot be eaten raw.

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Re:Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry by emodendroket on Tuesday May 03, 2016 @11:28AM (#11621488)

OK, sorry. Nevertheless, grapes do not require arduous preparation to eat.

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