[Symbiote]

It was made clear to me when I worked in a food factory that if I ate anything, I'd be fired immediately.

The exception was when a low pressure hose popped open, and squirted food all over my face. The line manager, who has been fiddling with it, said "please swallow that!" as spitting it out would be been much worse. (Having to clean and discard a lot of stuff.)

Once a week or so there would be leftovers in the canteen.

[freedomben]

That seems so silly to me. Even all-you-can-eat doesn't seem like it would even make a dent. Even if they go nuts initially, people will get sick of it, and the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility will lower demand.

Why not just be cool?

[Symbiote]

Nothing to do with costs; it's unhygenic.

It would be allowed to take food out of the factory area and eat it in the canteen, which is exactly what they did once a week or so. Returning from the canteen to the factory area required putting on different boots, clean overalls and a hairnet, then cleaning boots, arms and hands.