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Bulk foods section are a disease vector, though. I see both unattended kids and adults "grazing" in the bulk section of stores like Sprouts, hand to bin to mouth to hand to bin, repeat across the spectrum of bulk goodies.

I've seen kids wet their fingers in their mouths and "dip" them into bins as their parents watch, unconcerned.

On their way to the store, most bulk products have been expectorated on by a number of sweaty men in dirty boots. It's not obvious to me how packaging would lower that number.

> I wish grocery stores near me had better bulk goods sections.

Do you have a wholesale near you, such as Costco?

Costco fits a rather different definition of “bulk”. They carry 50 lb bags of rice, but they don’t have dispensers where you can fill your own bag and pay by weight, which is what GP was almost certainly referring to.

Try a local food coop.