Supermarket selling out of date produce - advice please

myjugsarehuge

My local Supervalu shop has started selling lots of short date food items, like Tesco does, which is great but theirs are in a trolley and many of the items are actually 2 or even 3 days past their use by date. Quite a few of the packages state that the product should be kept refrigerated but they are dumped in a trolley in the middle of the aisle all day and probably all night.

This happens regularly, I have told various members of staff that they shouldn't sell products past their use by date as I think its illegal and people might get sick and probably sue them (I would if I got sick) but the next day there is more of the same stuff the trolley, past its use by date.

Who should I report them too if anybody and is it worth it, will anything get done if I do take the time and effort ?

Shifty

Maybe these guys could help or point you in the right direction

http://www.fsai.ie/about/index.asp

Barlow07

myjugsarehuge wrote: »

My local Supervalu shop has started selling lots of short date food items, like Tesco does, which is great but theirs are in a trolley and many of the items are actually 2 or even 3 days past their use by date. Quite a few of the packages state that the product should be kept refrigerated but they are dumped in a trolley in the middle of the aisle all day and probably all night.

This happens regularly, I have told various members of staff that they shouldn't sell products past their use by date as I think its illegal and people might get sick and probably sue them (I would if I got sick) but the next day there is more of the same stuff the trolley, past its use by date.

Who should I report them too if anybody and is it worth it, will anything get done if I do take the time and effort ?

If they have it advertised as 2-1 offer, then there is not much i think you can about this. I would speak to the manager of the store first before you go making complaints or reporting this. I worked in a supermarker before and this was regular thing that offened happened when certain produce was out of date it would be advertised as 2-1 offer.

ScouseMouse

If you see a Use by Date, then that is a legal date by which the product should be used. A lot of people confuse this with the best b4 date. This is a date that the product is BEST before, but is still fine and sellable after that.

If you want to complain and the store is not doing anything about it, then complain to musgrave. Musgrave are the main company who own the name Supervalu. Most of the stores are franchises but they do have to listen (to a certain extent) to Musgrave.

Give them a call on 01 6166300 or cork on 021 4522100

vms7ply9t6dw4b

Dont buy it if you dont want to :rolleyes:

Best Before isn't the same as Use By are you sure its USE BY?

dahamsta

Braylen Gorgeous Rhino wrote: »

Dont buy it if you dont want to :rolleyes:

Do people realise how damaging this atitude is? Does anyone understand the meaning of the word "responsibility" any more?

vms7ply9t6dw4b

dahamsta wrote: »

Do people realise how damaging this atitude is? Does anyone understand the meaning of the word "responsibility" any more?

You're going to change the world by stoping Supervalu flogging tins of beans that are two or, shock horror, sometimes three days out of date?

Don't buy them , they will go in the bin... Problem Solved No? Or do you want a pat on the back for reporting something to sombody in authority?

celt2005

Best Before isn't the same as Use By are you sure its USE BY?


Whats the difference ???

vms7ply9t6dw4b

Best before date:
Date assigned to foods with a shelf-life of two years or less. It may be safe to eat foods after the "best before" date, but they will have lost peak flavour and nutrients.

Use by date:
Demarcation indicating to consumers the last day that food will be at peak flavour and quality. Food that is past its "use by" date can pose a health risk.



The dates manafacturers use would be very conservative aswell...

I think its illegal to sell food past its USE BY date so i doubt a large chain like supervalu
would risk something like that id imagine the OP has come accross goods past thier BEST BEFORE date

dahamsta

Braylen Gorgeous Rhino wrote: »

You're going to change the world by stoping Supervalu flogging tins of beans that are two or, shock horror, sometimes three days out of date?

Don't buy them , they will go in the bin... Problem Solved No? Or do you want a pat on the back for reporting something to sombody in authority?

I wasn't talking to you, I was highlighting your irresponsible attitude. You're beyond help, just another mé féiner to add to the collection. I wouldn't waste my breath.

dudara

I know that it is illegal to sell food that has gone past its 'use-by' date in the UK, but a quick search isn't confirming that for me in Irish law.

A ring to the FSAI or safefood should help find out the correct information.

penexpers

Braylen Gorgeous Rhino wrote: »

I think its illegal to sell food past its USE BY date so i doubt a large chain like supervalu
would risk something like that id imagine the OP has come accross goods past thier BEST BEFORE date

They used to do it all the time in the Super Valu I worked in.

jdivision

If the food should be refrigerated, as OP states, and is being sold from a trolley it does pose a threat to health and I would report them.

meathstevie

The old man is 62 and still tells the story of being given cans of corned beef as rations in the army back in 1964 canned when he was in primary school.
Doesn't seem to have done him any harm, hasn't eaten corned beef since though

Del2005

meathstevie wrote: »

The old man is 62 and still tells the story of being given cans of corned beef as rations in the army back in 1964 canned when he was in primary school.
Doesn't seem to have done him any harm, hasn't eaten corned beef since though

Produce in cans has a best before date, not a use by date, you could eat food out of a 100 year old can if you can find it. May not taste the best though. Read a story about an old couple recently who are a ~50 year old cake in a tin they got when married.

Back to OP, if they are selling food past it's use by date and also storing food out of a fridge call your local health board, they should be able to send out an inspector and point them in the right direction

jenny4385

i bought a big pack of crisps in tesco there recently only to go home n eat some, didnt feel too good that night, took a look at the best before date the next day and it was september, i bought the crisps last week surely they should check their stock regularly as about 2 weeks ago these crisps had been out of stock,

myjugsarehuge

Braylen Gorgeous Rhino wrote: »

I think its illegal to sell food past its USE BY date so i doubt a large chain like supervalu
would risk something like that id imagine the OP has come accross goods past thier BEST BEFORE date

No this is not the case, these items should have been kept refrigerated and were 3 days past their USE BY DATE not best before.

I went to Supervalu again today and they had potato cakes USE BY the 9 December reduced price, on display in the trolley with the packaging all ballooned up from gases presumably.

dudara

Have you actually contacted the FSAI or safefood in order to find out the legality of this situation?

myjugsarehuge

dudara wrote: »

Have you actually contacted the FSAI or safefood in order to find out the legality of this situation?

I have now I've had the time I couldn't get online for a couple of days to check out the thread.

The FSA people were very helpful, answered the phone immediately which is a rarity these days. Said I needed to talk to Environmental Health for my area. I rang them and someone is going to ring me back tomorrow and take full details and go from there.

meanmachine3

a little tip here, i do it all the time.
firstly. check dates especially on bread and milk.
secondly. if you want something like milk, ham ,packed stuff etc. always take from the back, most stores rotate their stock and you'll find 99% of the time the freshest stuff and the ones with the longer dates are at the back.

dudara

myjugsarehuge wrote: »

I have now I've had the time I couldn't get online for a couple of days to check out the thread.

The FSA people were very helpful, answered the phone immediately which is a rarity these days. Said I needed to talk to Environmental Health for my area. I rang them and someone is going to ring me back tomorrow and take full details and go from there.

Excellent. Please keep us up to date, I'd like to know how this one fares.

Our man in Havana

meanmachine3 wrote: »

a little tip here, i do it all the time.
firstly. check dates especially on bread and milk.
secondly. if you want something like milk, ham ,packed stuff etc. always take from the back, most stores rotate their stock and you'll find 99% of the time the freshest stuff and the ones with the longer dates are at the back.

I do that in Dunnes all the time.

I was berated by a Dunnes goon for taking milk and cream from the back. She said "how dare you mess up my display". All the cream at the front was use by tomorrow. No way was I paying for stuff that had to be used by tomorrow.

myjugsarehuge

Well Environmental Health lady rang me today and took detailed notes as to the nature of my complaint. She said she would phone the supermarket in question and tell them a complaint had been lodged and would I like to report back if it happens again. Am I paid by them to do their work ?? Why can't they send an Inspector, do they have Inspectors ?

Too bogged down with the delight that is Christmas right now, but in the New Year I will just create a scene with the Manager of the shop, tell them I will sue the arse off them if they don't buck their ideas up. Its not my "local" shop so I can avoid going there, its just their lack of interest that amazes me. They need suing big time, make them take some notice.

LuckyStar

I could be wrong on this but as far as I know you will have a hard time suing them over it unless the food did you harm. What they are doing is illegal alright but that's what the FSAI are for. Believe me if they are that negligent they will get caught out sooner or later

Edit: I worked in restaurants when I was in college and we ALWAYS knew when there was a hygiene check on the way so the place would be spotless. If you tell the FSAI yourself, they will know about it and the shop will be none the wiser

dudara

I fail to see what you can sue them for. Just keep reporting them to your Environmental Health Officer. Enough complaints, and something will be done.

rubadub

Braylen Gorgeous Rhino wrote: »

I think its illegal to sell food past its USE BY date so i doubt a large chain like supervalu
would risk something like that id imagine the OP has come accross goods past thier BEST BEFORE date

I doubt it is their official policy to do it. Could be some ignorant young lad working there told to stick the stuff that is soon to go off in the cheap section, or getting mixed up between, or not knowing the difference between BB and UB.
Storing any chilled foods in a trolley is bad, but stuff that is already or soon to be at its UB date is bad.

I think the OP does realise the difference as they underlined it. Though I do know some people who think a tin of beans with a BB date 10 years away will magically become full of maggots or toxic at the stroke of midnight in 10 years time.

The OP also mentioned stuff that should be in a fridge that usually has a use by rather than a BB

myjugsarehuge

The Environmental Health lady rang me back today, says she has visited the store in question, viewed the said trolley with out of date produce for sale and has spoken with the Managers. They say they will remove the trollley and stop selling food past its use by date.

Our man in Havana

A result! Well done.

foggy_lad

50 year old rashers that have never seen a fridge? would probably make a lovely breakfast which probably be your last!

well done on result! complaint still a very powerful thing!

eth0_

jenny4385 wrote: »

i bought a big pack of crisps in tesco there recently only to go home n eat some, didnt feel too good that night, took a look at the best before date the next day and it was september, i bought the crisps last week surely they should check their stock regularly as about 2 weeks ago these crisps had been out of stock,

Urgh! I saw this in Tesco with alarming regularity before I made the decision never to shop there again. Last time I shopped there, two of the items were out of date, as in, past the use by date. One by SIX WEEKS!

And well done OP!

rubadub

eth0_ wrote: »

Urgh! I saw this in Tesco with alarming regularity before I made the decision never to shop there again. Last time I shopped there, two of the items were out of date, as in, past the use by date. One by SIX WEEKS!

And well done OP!

In my tescos I pick food at the front, the shelf stackers are lazy there and do not move new food to the back like most stores, so some stuff at the back is weeks behind.