I can also confirm the issue. In the newest update food is very rare. The result is you need to start farming and using alternative methods of food gathering. Without the possibillity to get seeds from your harvest, it makes farming very difficult because seeds are also very rare.

This is a bad idea. You can already make the improvised stone knife which can be used to open cans, which can be used to craft any items that need a knife and which can also be used as something to fight with. Changing the fresh spawn gear to something you recommended would render the improvised knife obsolete.

My guess is you made an uneducated suggestion for something that is very simple to get. If you didin't know, to make an improvised stone knife you have to find a stone texture on the floor, and scroll wheel search it. Then ever time you search you have a chance of getting a rock. Then you equip the rock in your hands and use the rock on the stone texture and craft the improvised knife.