Local shop blatantly selling gone off products, what do?

Steviemoyne

My local shop continuously sells gone off products. Ranging from confectionery to drinks to sauces and so on.

I don't normally check the date, which I should considering the carry on they get up to where everything seems to be gone off and usually get stung when I get home when my fizzy drink tastes like it's been left with the lid off for 5 months (as an example).

One which I couldn't believe was a red sauce I'd bought that was gone off, I found myself thinking how many years it must have been sitting in the shop before I bought it.

Little sick of it at this stage as I've been stung a few times, eg: get home...open a sauce and green mould waves up at me because I was foolish enough to presume it was in date when I purchased it.

What would I do in this case in regards to reporting the shop? Approach the brand or possibly the food safety authority or what?
The products are not advertised as out of date, foolish me for not checking yes but surely they shouldn't be selling them in the first place and are just trying to scive money selling them.

aujopimur

Are they best before dates or consume before dates.
I suggest you shop elsewhere.

Theres a shop in my town that does the same, its a very very old shop that has been in the same family for donkeys years. I once bought a tub of mcdonalds curry sauce and the foil had been removed and half the tub gone!, the rest of the powder was lumpy.

I think people have come to expect this "quality" from this particular shop but people tend to turn a blin eye because he sells beer which is by its sell by date at a giveaway price, im gulity of buying beer here for this reason (im only human)

He also sells cup of soups separately from the box and he sells aldi / lidl bars for about 60 cent each, he sells multipack crisps etc and any products that come with a promotional free product are separated and sold! at this stage people know what is safe to buy there and whats not safe to buy!

ScouseMouse

If its USE BY dates then they should not be sold. You can report it to the local environmental health office and they will pay a visit. USE BY dates are typically on fresh foods, meat, dairy etc etc. They are legally enforceable.

If they are BEST BEFORE dates, they are only recommendations and are not legally enforceable. Just because a bottle of coke has best before today, it does not mean it is gone off tomorrow. Its a common misconception.

Is the shop aware the stock is past the date?

I buy a lot of cheap short dated stock and when it gets to date, I put it in a box and sell it off cheap with a sign saying "expired 2 for a euro". Its remarkable how something gone off is suddenly ok when its sold like that:rolleyes: I typically do this with sweets and minerals. They last for years.

If its ham, cheese, or perishables, etc etc, it cannot be sold.

reprazant

I'd firstly presume that the shop does not realise that it is doing that. Is it small newsagent type place? I'd firstly say it to them. If the situation stays the same, then report them.

Steviemoyne

superscouse wrote: »

If they are BEST BEFORE dates, they are only recommendations and are not legally enforceable. Just because a bottle of coke has best before today, it does not mean it is gone off tomorrow. Its a common misconception.

Is the shop aware the stock is past the date?

The shop is well aware that it is past the date, I'd say it's the BEST BEFORE dates for everything but the sauces, example I gave was a bruschetta, and which could have been a once off mistake considering I only bought something like that in there once. Mostly it's crisps, chocolate etc...which I would guess have best before dates rather than use by dates.

The items however are the same price as buying one that is before the best before date.

Steviemoyne

reprazant wrote: »

I'd firstly presume that the shop does not realise that it is doing that. Is it small newsagent type place? I'd firstly say it to them. If the situation stays the same, then report them.

We've pulled them on it a number of times in the past where I'd drive the car up and return the item, nothing is said about the fact it's gone off.

So lets take this situation as it remaining the same, however if the law doesn't cover best before dates there's nothing that can be done really?

ScouseMouse

If its sweets and drinks you are talking about, they are technically, not doing anything wrong. Whats the difference between best (as in best before 1st May) and not best as in 2nd May.

Its only expectations and people not realising what the date is actually saying. People assume wrongly that the product has gone off.


You mentioned bruchetta. Well thats a so-so one. Its a bread product which may go mouldy so I would be careful with that (although I have seen fancy loaves with weeks on them preservatives loaded I suppose)


Its completely up to yourself what you want to do. I think you may be better finding another shop, with a higher turnover, that will have fresher stock. You mention its an old shop there for years and years. I would imagine it would be on the quiet side, so a case of mars bars may sit for a month or two or more before its sold. This is a side effect of business being slow.

seamus

Superscouse is spot on here.

Remember also that you still have the protection of the SOGA. So if you buy something where the best before date has passed and the product isn't up to scratch - let's say they're crisps which are a little stale or soggy - then you are entitled to a refund/replacement as the goods were not of merchantable quality.

Steviemoyne

superscouse wrote: »

You mentioned bruchetta. Well thats a so-so one. Its a bread product which may go mouldy so I would be careful with that (although I have seen fancy loaves with weeks on them preservatives loaded I suppose)

You mention its an old shop there for years and years.

Aye, it's normally sweets and drinks, sometimes months away from the date the best before stated.

Well, as for the bruschetta it was a jar of bruschetta mix (tomato based, mixed with onions and stuff like that...much like a jar of dolmio only smaller). Yet as I said that may have been a once off mistake of it having not been noticed.

And it was the poster below me noting the old shop, mine is however also there years. Better I use the centra up the road like you said.

Steviemoyne

seamus wrote: »

Superscouse is spot on here.

Remember also that you still have the protection of the SOGA. So if you buy something where the best before date has passed and the product isn't up to scratch - let's say they're crisps which are a little stale or soggy - then you are entitled to a refund/replacement as the goods were not of merchantable quality.

Well flat lucozade, stale crisps would as you say entitle me to a refund. However I've never had a problem seeking one, as if they are aware the items are not of merchantable quality and are selling them on the sly hoping someone will buy them.

However as Superscouse says, it's perfectly legal...which is surprising, but hey what can I do except avoid giving them business.

ScouseMouse

Steviemoyne wrote: »

Well flat lucozade, stale crisps would as you say entitle me to a refund. However I've never had a problem seeking one, as if they are aware the items are not of merchantable quality and are selling them on the sly hoping someone will buy them.

However as Superscouse says, it's perfectly legal...which is surprising, but hey what can I do except avoid giving them business.

Of course you dont have to accept that, but from my experience, those examples would be an exception rather than the norm.

Unless you are talking about months.......

coolemon

I know of a shop that sells, or used to sell, a lot of stuff past their best before date aswell. Its been a couple of years since iv been there so mayby they dont anymore.

But this shop used to change the best before dates on products by removing and stamping a new date over it.

Is this legal?

Im just thinking in light of what scouse was saying in post 4, that maybe there is a legal loophole in which the shop was allowed do this since the BB is not legally enforceable. As in, the shop is now recommending a new BB date on the products it is selling, and perhaps is legally taking responsibility over that recommendation if something went wrong.

Something like shops might have done years and years ago, where they are making recommendations on certain thi9ng sthey might be selling...

animaal

One approach that may be worth thinking about is contacting the manufacturer. Plenty of products have a blurb on the back stating "If this product does not meet your expectations, contact...". If you return the product to them because there's something wrong with it, you'll typically be sent a replacement. Often, you'll be sent more than you initially bought.

From what I've seen, The distributor may then visit the outlet, and has a word.

Our local shop down south is terrible for that too. I remember on one occasion they sold us a frozen pizza 2 years out of date and the bread was out of date by a year. We then found out they have huge freezers out back and they freeze the food just before it goes out of date.

Steviemoyne

In my opinion it's bad practice plain and simple. Especially to the types of people who just pop in on their way home for something quick and handy.

countrynosebag

we have the same problem with milk in the Centra in our village - the milk is in date but is off when we get it home, nuisance as it is 1/2 hour each way to next shop and our local is very popular because it is so very handy - forget anything, need extra then just pop in.
Please centra protect your good name as we do a fair amount of shopping locally!

countrynosebag

I think it might be because they store things too long in the wrong conditions, the sour milk we have in our centra (ALL the time now) is because we have seen it piled up outside for days in the sun and then brought in and placed in the refrigerator - nonsensical really.
Deliveries may be fewer now and so more is purchased?
Shame really because they lose customers that live nearish and are very pleased to have them there.

Teyla Emmagan

My local Centra is the same. Despite the 'Remember Stock Rotation!!!' signs up everywhere for the staff nearly everything in the place is on it's 'Use By' date, particularly the meat etc. The amount of times I've carried mince up to the counter and said 'this is off' to the girl. And she'll look at the date (yesterday's) and go 'oh okay'. Because the fact it is BROWN isn't enough of an indicator.

I bought smoked fish in there a few years ago. Went home, opened the packed, took a bite, thought 'this is a bit off', looked at the packaging and realised it was THREE MONTHS out of date. I nearly threw my guts up. Reported them to the HSE who sent a health inspector out immediately, but they go straight back to their old tricks.

And it's not like it's a small shop who can't afford to carry a lot of stock, the place does a massive turnover. It's just really lazily managed by people who don't put the welfare of their customers over making a buck.

Steviemoyne

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

My local Centra is the same.

Contact Centra via the contact us on their website and tell them about it. They won't be long changing their act then.

mikeym

Theres one place in Cork City on the Coal Quay that sells selection boxes in the summer and easter eggs during Christmas

Amalgam

I want to report a non chain Supermarket nearby. They skimp on the freezers and I have shown 'grey ham' and 'dark rashers' (sort of purple brown) on display, to relatives, shopping with me. Astounded would be a word to use.

Other issues are gone off milk and bread sodden with moisture in the center.

I don't have an axe to grind, but I think it is in the public interest to have a health\hygiene official give the outlet a gentle kick up the backside, with a view to changing their cold storage habits.

What body can I send an email out to, for them to pay a visit to the Supermarket?

Tropheus

Have had the same experience too. It's either deliberate or poor stock management.

foggy_lad

SuperValu on Aston Quay are terrible for stock rotation especially in the fridges/chill cabinets, they also happily sell rolls or tin foil to junkies but that is for another thread.

countrynosebag

Hello amalgam
I think you may be talking about a display issue too.
I wish shops would stop slicing so much meat, it becomes very dry and grey (as you said) and I have not had any difficulties ever, when I consistently ask for fresh slices to be cut for me - perhaps this will eventually be the gentle hint it is hoped they will take
I think they must waste so much!
Perhaps people buy it I don;t know
My partner just said the soggy bread issue is because the bread is frozen, he freezes some but only for toasting - I don;t think it is safe to refreeze bread is it? Many rural people like us buy an extra loaf for the freezer - perhaps not good to do this from centra?

Amalgam

You'd have to go to the outlet I'm familiar with, you'd be pulling a frowny face --> ,fairly quickly..

Ham is sealed, as are the rashers. They have vertical and lidless box chillers, with meat, basically, just below room temperature.

The bread moisture is from fermentation, you can smell the soon to be abundant spores.

It is known locally that you'll have to return stock every so often, people are so.. 'used' to what the place is like that it doesn't really get talked about, just accepted, at this point.

Steviemoyne

Amalgam wrote: »

What body can I send an email out to, for them to pay a visit to the Supermarket?

You'd send to to the FSAI (food safety authority Ireland) who would forward it on to the HSE. I can't think of any direct approach to the HSE hence me pointing you towards the FSAI, as far as I'm aware there's a department in every county that handles food related complaints.

Then you'd probably get a phone-call asking for more information like what you've purchased and when etc... the quality it was in or something along those lines.

Follow this link:
http://www.fsai.ie/makeitbetter/

andersat2

I have now ideas how they surviving in our days those local shops:
usually little/poor choice, totally overpriced, out of date products.

wallyMe

I used to work in a small corner shop and crazy boss used to have me clean the expiration dates of things with nail varnish remover. I'd say some of stock could have been five years old

BostonB

I'm getting caught by this a lot more often these days across many shops. Seems like shops are holding, or buying a lot of almost expired stock than they used to. Its now got to the point where I have to check the date on anything I buy no matter how trivial or long lasting.

irishgeo

Irish people don't complain enough.

If its after the use by date get on to HSE or local environment section of your council.

If its the best before date get on the owners of the brand of shop, I.e centra etc. Trust me they don't like bad publicity.