"Shopping the Supermarkets" BBC1

lil_me

I didn't see it, what channel was it on and what time (actually might have been out with the dogs then)

I used to work in 2 supermarkets when I was younger and the rules were very strict, especially when it came to chilled/frozen. How high things had to be off the floors etc. There was more pest traps than anything else but rarely was there anything found in one. Unfortunately although the rules are set out, some stores may not follow them completely. Saying that neither do many market stall holders, small businesses (the local shop to me I wouldn't buy anything frozen from put it that way)

EssexGirl

ivyleaf wrote:

I've sometimes found the assistants at my local Asda banging packs of frozen veg on the edge of the freezer cabinet before putting them out for sale because they were frozen into solid blocks. I always suspected it was because they'd partially thawed and then been refrozen - it seems I was right!

I'm always seeing that happening. Never considered that might be why :eek:

nickinoo

I worked in a supermarket & although the official line was that the stock shouldn't be out of the chiller for more than 20 mins it was often a couple of hours in reality as they were so much stock on the cages & of course you have to deal with customers etc. Out of date/rotten meat sat on a cage in the chiller for ages (I think it was dealt with once a week) alongside the fresh stuff.

jennyjelly

I wish it were only the supermarkets we had to worry about!

Many years ago I worked in a bakers shop, one of a well known chain, and one day I was eating a choc eclair in my tea break and got chatting to the delivery man. He said "you wouldn't eat that if you could see them being made" and told me about some of the practices that were commonplace in the factory. I won't go into detail, but let's just say that hygeine didn't seem to have a high priority! I don't eat bought cakes any more.

I think the ONLY way to be sure of what you are eating is to make it yourself from scratch.

Horasio

Back in 1988 my OH had food poisoning from Iceland due to their refrozen sausages:eek:

Meanymoo

This thread has reminded me of when I went into my local Sainsbury's last year, and saw an enormous cockroach crawling on the floor at the checkout. I pointed it out to the lad at the checkout (the critter was right behind his chair on the floor), and he just shrugged as if it was a normal occurrence.:eek:

weegie_2

as the wife of someone who works in the warehouse of a well known supermarket most of these stories about stuff being left out is true. I've heard several stories of food being left it when it should have been chilled, of pigeons flying about the warehouse and their droppings landing on boxed things(and just being wiped off), and of fruit/veg being stored beside things that aren't so clean.....

lovelyjubbly

I saw the programme, BBC1 9.15am it was good, a real eye opener,

a couple of weeks ago I went into our new Asda to get my weekly shop, I saw a packet of chicken portions, (fresh ones, not frozen ones) and someone had dumped them in the veggie section (they must have changed their minds and dumped them instead of taking them back the right section) anyway, I don't know how long they had been there, but I went to the assistant and pointed it out to her, she thanked me and took the packet, I followed her and she took it to where the other chicken portions were and put it back with them!!!!!! I should have queried it again with her but, to my shame I didn't as I don't buy meat from Asda, I just hope who ever bought the chicken portions were not ill afterwards!! I am sure it happens all the time though in all the supermarkets.

achtunglady

surfsister wrote:

I've seen Iceland deliveries sitting in the shop unrefrigerated for a while!

Thats because customers want serving quickly,they will take staff off the sales floor to put them on a till. I'd rather wait my turn and know that the food was being stored properly.

patchwork_cat

I used to work with someone who had worked in a large airport and they told me that the airport would just change re sticker sandwiches not sold by their date and mark them so they only did it once. Also when the meat at the supermarket passed it's sell by they would had a chinese or other marinade repack it and put it back out.