I said this in another response too, but normally we got lunch catered and it was part of the compensation. In the two scenarios I mentioned though, we got served leftovers just so the company could save a few hundred bucks.

Or, you got served leftovers because throwing food away is exremely wasteful. I eat leftovers all the time. What's the big deal?

I didn't say they should have thrown it away. There are many organizations that accept food donations from private events as long as it is still fresh and in good condition.

In the funeral scenario, the problem was that the funeral was on a Friday and the food was stale and gross by the time it was served for lunch on Monday.

In the other scenario, a lot of people were offended that they were being served left-overs from a private party they weren't invited to, despite being a part of the company. The CEO not only gave preferential treatment to engineering but then went one step further and served the leftover food to the rest of the company. To me, that clearly communicates what he thinks of non-engineers.

If part of your compensation comes in the form of food, then it isn't free.

Of course, if it's part of your compensation, it should probably be taxed as such... maybe I should keep my mouth shut.

Food offered for the employer's convenience is non-taxable compensation.