Food is a substance used to provide energy and nutritional support for an organism.

Extended Preserved (EP) and fresh food

Historically food has come in many shapes and sizes and from many sources. Nearly all the food that can be found in Rivertown, however, was preserved and packaged prior to the superflu epidemic of 2088; all fresh foods and other foods not subject to extended preservation techniques (aka EP foods) has long since spoiled, rotted, consumed by survivors, or devoured by wild animals.

With fears about war and even possible invasion on the rise, the food industry developed foods with extraordinary shelf lives, some up to 50 years. While many critics decried these foods for being saturated with chemicals and for being packed with empty calories during an obestiy epidemic, sales for EP foods were brisk and became a common feature in most groceries and convenience stores.

In addition to EP foods, a limited quantity of fresh food is also available. Dogs are sometimes killed for meat by scavengers and the MPD alike, as are the occasional deer who wander into the city. Other game includes birds (including turkeys) and rabbits. People also fish both Lake Lawrence and the Juneau River with very limited success. These foods are sometimes preserved through traditional methods such as drying and salting, when salt is available.

In contrast to the urban areas, the Western Wastes is mostly green space and many small farms produce fresh vegetables and keep cows, pigs, and chickens. These farms are few and far between, well-fortified, the farmers are unwilling to share with outsiders, and they guard their food stores with their lives.

Physical description

EP foods must be sealed airtight, usually kept in lightweigh cans or encased in some form of plastic. If the packaging has been compromised, the food will likely have spoiled; eating spoiled food can lead to sickness and even death.

Some fine and/or "luxury" EP foods, such as the popular Royal Ham, can be quite large and heavy, weighing up to 25 pounds. Others, such as Beamer Stripped Beef, weigh only a few ounces.

Traits and usage

Food is meant to be eaten, though it functions almost as a kind of currency at scavenger swap meets. Due to the scarcity of food, scavengers and MPD alike tend to have monotonous, though not necessarily bland, diets.

Rarity and value

Food, regardless of its pre-flu cost, is relatively rare and extremely valuable in Rivertown. A talented scavenger can still find enough food in the ruins--or through theft--to survive, at least for the time being. The scavengeable food supply will one day be exhausted and the inhabitants of Rivertown will be forced to leave or risk starvation.

The MPD stocks food in their inventories and distributes it to their guards and citizens through ration cards. Citizens may, in some instances, be allowed to buy additional food for notes.