No one is going to be buying any of that food anyway. So whether they are starving or not is a moot point. Consider the food theft as part of clean up. Again, I'm only speaking to food and necessities such as diapers etc.
I thought I'd heard that the law requires the discarding of all food from a store which had been flooded. If so, then they're just taking the trash.
I haven't read the whole thread but am inclined to agree with you. Food and diapers are a lot different from plasma TVs and laptop computers. If the food is just going to be flooded and spoil anyway, and the people have no other food, why the hell not take it? I would certainly be trying to find milk for my kids, for one thing. I really could care less if anyone has "moral" problems with this; the moral imperative to feed your family trumps the technicality of "theft" (of soon to be useless smelly trash), by a long shot. Always watch out for people who express phony moral concern when a more important issue is at stake.
No food store can sell food, even after minor flooding, if there is even a slight chance it has been in any way contaminated.
The "law of the jungle" must not be allowed to prevail, I don't care if it's diapers or beer. Nothing taken without some sort of accountability. I've been involved in post-hurricane cleanups in small towns in law enforcement and the leading authority (Sheriffs) gave the order that looters will be shot on sight--that was no joke. As a result, looting was almost non-existant. BTW, we were paired up w/NG soldiers locked and loaded, no pretend stuff.
Accountability or we are all reduced to animals. No thanks.