Food stuff - opened packages

[John-And-Robert0]

Hi everyone - I have been pondering what do do regarding partially used food items such as eggs, butter, bread,milk, etc

I provide all the basics for a first day breakfast and some snacks for our guests. I typically do not restock with partially used loafs of bread, butter tubs, etc. but I was visiting my sister and stayed in her Airbnb and she does the opposite. She said the guests do not mind sharing these items from prior guests. Eggs is an easy one - they are self contained. Bread and milk are the big ones for me. What does everyone else do?  If you provide food stuff - do you keep it for the next guest or provide new foodstuff items? Thanks!

[Susan151]

Freshly provided. You have no idea if that container of milk sat out on a counter for 5 hours before being put back into the fridge. Same with the bread. Perhaps a kid fingered it before the parents got exasperated and shoved it back into the bag.

However, you don't have to provide a fresh bag of bread. You can get attractive containers or bags, and place an appropriate amount of bread out for the guest. Milk? buy a gallon and have attractive pitchers or bottles that are washed between guests to divide.

Butter is another one. Who doesn't know that you shouldn't dip your knife in the butter, use it on your bread, perhaps even lick the knife or stick it into jam, before putting that same knife into the butter once again? But, I have seen all of this.

I think your sister's guests probably do mind, but are too polite to say anything.

EDITED: to clean up typos

[John-And-Robert0]

Thanks Susan!  Great tips. My sisters Airbnb is a different situation as hers is a working farm with composting toilet and dairy and eggs raised herself. I think her guests accept the “rustinsture of her Airbnb experience.

For my guests - I think you made very valid points and I will implement the ideas suggested. Thanks!

[Yulianna0]

Personally I’ll have doubts about hygiene sharing butter, jam etc. So I have decided to provide it in individual packages. May be a bit more expensive but convenient. Also helps to controle and avoid excessive use of everything 

[Amy-and-Brian0]

We toss most everything that is "partial" that isn't individually wrapped.

For instance, we keep things like eggs, cooking oil, pancake syrup and coffee grounds as well as packaged items like a half a box of ice cream bars that are individually wrapped. But we would toss juice, tubs of margarine, deli meats, etc. 

It's not worth the risk - unfortunate for the waste, but it is what it is. 

[Allison2]

I remove anything that isn't single serve and shelf stable.

I'll share open items from my kitchen where I know how it's been handled. To avoid food waste, I'll portion some things into smaller containers for guests, like milk or coffee grounds. After it's been in a guests' control I won't pass it along to another guest (although I may use it myself). I simply don't know if someone drank directly from the milk container, handled meat before putting their hand in the bread bag, forgot to put something back in the fridge overnight, or other things that don't follow food safety guidelines.

If I had a communal kitchen setup where things were clearly shared amongst a number of guests the expectations might be different. As it is, hosting a suite in my home, guests think anything there is something I left for them, so it better be something I can stand behind.

So I don't know which approach is better. Whatever you choose should be clear to your guests so they're aware of the risks.

[Ned-And-Laura0]

I only provide single use items like coffee K-cups, chocolate bars, microwave popcorn and small bottles of water.  For the very reason you stated I wouldn't try and leave milk or a loaf of bread as it will likely be only half used and I wouldn't want leave that for the next guest.  If you want to leave milk, I'd leave little 1/2 pints like we got in school and instead of bread, maybe leave some rolls?

[John-And-Robert0]

Thanks for all the great replies!  I’ll keep doing what I’ve been doing and provide only unopened food stuff items!

[Letti0]

@John-And-Robert0  I provide a new loaf of bread and a fresh dozen eggs each time. I use squeeze bottles for jellies and jams, mayo, mustard, ketchup, etc,. so there is no cross contamination possible. I keep butter sticks in the freezer and take out a new one for each group and toss the old one. I have not found a way to repurpose this one for the wild life, it's too hot in Texas and it would go rancid fast. I use the the leftover opened peanut butter jars to make suet for the birds adding in lard, peanuts, bird seed, dried fruit and a bit of chili powder which is mostly to keep the pesky squirrels away. I do not provide milk because it never seemed to be used and I ended up pitching it. 

[John-And-Robert0]

Great tips!!  Thanks so much. FYI - I own a house off W Lake Houston Parkway in Atascocita/Kingwood in Kings River subdivision.   Small world!  I have a renter in it now but was thinking of converting to Airbnb. Is there much demand in the area? So you have any interest in managing a property?  🙂

[Letti0]

@John-And-Robert0  I have my hands full with my two houses and Wedding/Event Venue on the same property as the houses. Yes the demand is high especially from March to August and then again from December to end of January/middle of February the snow birds come to get away from snow for a few weeks or months. I won't rent for more than 27 days, but a lot of homes book for a month or two during that time frame with the eldery snowbirds. September through November is hit or miss. Not a lot of bookings just weekends mostly, but 2 weekends booked is still more than a $1,200 monthly rental would bring in at least in my case. I also get more bookings from HA/VRBO than AirBnB. AirBnB is great for last minute booking to fill in open dates, but HA/VRBO is where the long thought out bookings come from. 

[Sarah977]

@Letti0   I'm convinced that you are either cloned and there are 3 of you, or you never sleep:-) How do you find time to run your rentals, manage major wedding parties, take care of your gardens and orchards, as well as your own home and your kids, read all the Airbnb TOS (and you probably know the full TOS of the other booking platforms as well) post regularly on this forum, AND make suet for the birds?

[Letti0]

@Sarah977  On average I sleep about 5 or 6 hours as thats all I need for the most part. My 2 girls are in town this weekend, so I went to get mani//pedi's with them and put the crockpot to work for a 12 hour slow cook of their favorite beef barley soup for dinner, which I started at 6:30 AM. They stayed until about 10:15 PM tonight then went out to buy halloween costumes for a party tomorrow night that they came in for. Who knew Halloween and Party Stores stayed open till mindnight this week. So I was not online today. They are taking me out for a brunch on Sunday before they both head home, 1 to Washington State and the other to the upper Peninsula of Michigan. My one son from Wyoming was here for Columbus day weekend two weeks ago, so I spent time with him then. 

I was bedridden for long time before I was finally moblie again. Now I make the most of every hour of every day. Life is iffy I've learned, I do not intend to waste another moment in time. I like to read anything and everything, write (5 romance novels and 5 cookbooks so far), crochet and knit, can my garden produce, cook and help people in as many ways as possible for me to do. The forum lets me help newer hosts that don't have the time I did to learn everything I could over a two year period of constant research and reading. I have people I pay well to help with the orchard, gardens, rentals and weddings. I handle the accounting, communication and details, they do the rest for the most part. I have a great staff that I thank God for everyday. It took a bit to find them, but I wouldn't be able to do what I do without them. 

[Victoria567]

@Johns and Robert

Luckily for me I am the proud servant, of an adorable dachshund called Pippa.

The very few scraps of food left over, including what’s left in the butter dish or milk jug go into the “tasty bits” section of her food, everything except grapes, raisins and citrus are “tasty bits” and these go into my compost heap, as she scoffs everything else.

[Robin4]

@John-And-Robert0

You will probably find the only food-stuffs you are legaly able to supply guests without a food handling licence are single use serves in sealed packaging  which have been commercially prepared by licenced premises. You may serve uncracked eggs as they are regarded by health authorities as 'sealed'....you may supply bacon but only if it is in sealed cryovaced plastic packaging.

There are some vagueries in food handling rules in the United States which do vary from state to state.

Interestingly Oklahoma prohibits the sale of fresh fruit without a licence. Under Oklahoma's Cottage Food Laws, you can bake a cake for someone else but, you cannot add fresh strawberries or pineapple to the top of it, maybe there are contagions that are unique to fruit products in Oklahoma! A law like that sure would put a spanner in the works of a few roadside stalls here in this country!

Before supplying any food items to guests it is best to consult your local district councils health department ask them and find out from them what you can provide and what you can't provide.

Airbnb are coming under enough pressure from government authorities, it would be nice if a few more hosts would involve their local government instead of going behind their backs. 
I can tell you from experience Local government can be a powerful ally if you get them onside and involve them. Show them the good we can do!

Cheers.....Rob