Man Wants to Throw Away One-Third of His Pantry Items After In-Laws’ Visit Due to Their ‘Unhealthy Food Handling Habits’

A man sparked debate online after saying he wants to throw away nearly one-third of his pantry following a holiday visit from his in-laws, claiming their food habits made the items feel “contaminated.”

He shared the situation in a post on Reddit’s “Am I Overreacting” forum, explaining that he and his wife were raised with very different standards around food handling. As an example, he said his own family would discard bread if it developed mold, while his wife’s family would simply cut away the moldy section and eat the rest.

“Fast forward to adulthood, and we still have very different tolerances when it comes to food cleanliness,” he wrote, adding that he considers himself much more “picky” than his wife.

According to the man, the issue escalated when his wife’s parents stayed with them over the holidays. He described what he considers “very unhealthy food handling habits,” including licking their fingers while cooking and then touching shared food without washing their hands, as well as double-dipping.

Instead of serving themselves portions of shared snacks, he said, his in-laws would repeatedly reach into bags of food after touching their mouths. After they left, he said he felt compelled to “throw away everything they touched,” arguing that it was easier than trying to determine what might still be sanitary.

His wife disagreed, telling him he was being “ridiculous.” Still, the man said he didn’t want to eat the food — or let his children eat it — and estimated that replacing everything would cost around $150. He ended his post by asking whether he was overreacting.

Commenters were divided. Some said his response was extreme and suggested he might be dealing with germ-related anxiety. One commenter argued that discarding $150 worth of food over minimal contact was excessive, noting that they had expected examples of genuinely unsafe practices, such as spoiled or unrefrigerated food.

Others, however, said they sympathized and would feel similarly uncomfortable. Several people also offered practical advice for avoiding the problem in the future, such as providing single-serve snacks for guests or portioning items like bread and bagels into smaller, separate bags.

In an update, the man said he and his wife eventually talked it through and went through the pantry together. They agreed to throw out items that crossed both of their comfort levels while keeping others that his wife felt were fine and planned to eat herself.

“We worked it out,” he wrote. “Some items are keepers — for her — and some are throwaways for everyone. She agreed it went too far at times and is going to address it with her family.”