What's in the boxes, FEMA?

When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, the Houston food bank put out a list of most needed items for people to donate. On the list were foods like granola bars, peanut butter, protein in easy to open pouches or pull-top cans like tuna and canned chicken, as well as ready to eat canned items with pull-tops like fruit. Presumably, they were thinking that in a natural disaster people need food that is calorie and protein rich for maintaining energy. They also need food that is not too salty so as to make people thirsty (remember, access to clean drinking water can be an issue in these circumstances) and food that people will actually want to eat.

This is worth noting—particularly because the exact opposite has been happening in Puerto Rico. While individuals and organizations have been trying to get all kinds of desperately needed food and supplies to the hurricane ravaged island, one company seems to think that any old junk food will do.

When families in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico asked for food, a Georgia company answered the call with candy bars. Baby Ruths, to be exact. Also fruity Airheads candies. Cheez-Its and pop-top tins of barbecue flavored potted meat came on the side. [...] Government contractor LongBranch Partners, LLC, which is stamped in red on the box with a location in Ellijay, 80 miles north of Atlanta, has been subject to particular scorn.

The scorn is well-deserved. There is absolutely no nutritional value in any of these items whatsoever. In fact, they could actually make people sick. Take a look:

Nothing says “we could care less” than sending people in crisis who are without power, drinking water and food, a random care package of salty processed crackers, candy bars, faux meat and a fruit-flavored rubbery chew. It would literally be better to send nothing.