Responding to Amazon.com's launch of a gourmet food store earlier this month, the online auction house eBay has decided to allow its community to sell food products.

Meg Whitman, eBay's President and CEO, announced the new policy yesterday near the dumpster of a San Jose McDonald's restaurant.

"We are excited to open up this new market to our community," said the executive whose words were muffled due to the handkerchief she held over her nose and mouth in an attempt to combat the smell from the dumpsters. "We believe that the supply for this market is huge and the demand is almost as large."

"Just look inside this dumpster, there are literally dozens of sandwiches in here that sat under the heat lamps longer than McDonald's policy allows. The sandwiches are fine and if every McDonald's franchise became an eBay seller they'd add substantially to their bottom line."

Buyers too would benefit greatly under the new plan. "Think of all the families and children in the world who go hungry.

UPS Delivers another eBay® Food® purchase to the happy new owner. This was billed as a "grab bag" and sold for $17. The winning bidder estimates that the dumpster contains 12 or more half eaten Chi-Chi's meals, making it a "very good find."

This initiative will allow food to be bought at a very reduced rate, thus alleviating much of the world's hunger issues." Whitman says she envisions products such as day-old bread, expired (but not yet spoiled) milk, and other waste that grocery stores see everyday as prime examples for the new service.

When one reporter noted that the families most in need of discounted, used food likely would not own a computer and have Internet access Whitman agreed. "It's true that some families will need to browse our electronics section first and purchase a computer, but the inexpensive food benefit should more than cover the cost of a discounted Pentium III, which we recommend as a minimum requirement." Asked how a family without a PC would "browse the electronics section" Whitman answered, "With their wireless PDA, of course."

A quick look through eBay's new discount food section shows that some users have already taken this concept to it's extreme. Entries such as "Finish My Breakfast" and "Half of a Tuna Noodle Casserole from Monday Night" abound and a few ominous sounding products such as "Fully Digested Steak Burrito" and "Yesterday's Lunch in Log Form" indicate that eBay's policies may need to be tightened.