Query: "Short Date" and "Out of Date"

mamabuddah

Anyone have the correct definitions of the above descriptions?

I understood "Short Date" to mean the items were close (sometimes next day) to their best by or best before dates and that "out of date" to mean the item was past those dates, i.e. if you want to take a chance on out of date foodstuffs....it's your choice (although not a great advert for the seller and trading standards might have something to say about it )

I have bought foodstuff reduced in my local supermarket with dates only a few days ahead but still able to freeze on day of purchase etc.

So I'm curious about my local Poundstretchers selling items and only finding out after purchase (no indications on SEL ) that the till receipt shows as "Short Date"...yet on further investigation the items "official" labelling in small stamped print shows best by 10/13....

so the question is....Is this item "short date" or "out of date" and do they have a legal obligation to indicate on their shelves whether or not the food & drink items being sold have POS advising customers of these facts?

WTFH

The issue is not "short date" versus "out of date", but the difference between "best before", "sell by" and "use by".

They do not need to indicate it on their shelves, there is no legal requirement to put dates on shelves - it's also an impracticality.

mamabuddah

WTFH wrote: »

The issue is not "short date" versus "out of date", but the difference between "best before", "sell by" and "use by".

They do not need to indicate it on their shelves, there is no legal requirement to put dates on shelves - it's also an impracticality.

ok...but
Query: "Short Date" and "Out of Date"
Anyone have the correct definitions of the above descriptions?

and also, is it illegal to display foodstuffs with as you say

"best before", "sell by" and "use by". dates that have been passed?

secondly, if their receipt states "short date", which would mean Poundstretcher knew....should they not be telling the buying public that, before they make a purchase (seeing that the item was nearly 3 months past its sell by date)?...i.e. making the customer aware they are buying OOD stock?

SuperHan

If it says 'Best Before' you are fine to use afterwards, it just means they quality of the product may be less than before that date. I would imagine things after their Best Before could be called Short Dated as they are still edible.

If it says Use By, it's technically not good to be eaten after that date. These should be sold as Out of Date, not Short Dated as per the packaging, they're not edible (of course they usually are)

I can't help with the legal side though....

wealdroam

mamabuddah wrote: »

Query: "Short Date" and "Out of Date"
Anyone have the correct definitions of the above descriptions?

There is no definitive definition of "Short date", other than it is shorter than others.

It's a bit like asking: How short must a piece of string be before it can be called a short piece of string?

It's relative.


Do you really want an definition of "out of date"?

WTFH

There isn't a legal definition of "short date" or "out of date", so the wording on the receipt may just be a generic term.

(I have done some work in the medical industry where "short date" is very important and it varies by product, customer and when it's going to be used)

transient

No i dont believe it is illegal

WTFH

mamabuddah wrote: »

secondly, if their receipt states "short date", which would mean Poundstretcher knew....should they not be telling the buying public that, before they make a purchase (seeing that the item was nearly 3 months past its sell by date)?...i.e. making the customer aware they are buying OOD stock?

OK, so you've asked for the definition of two terms, but in this post you've used three different terms, wanting them to mean the same thing.
And none of the three terms you have used mean the same as "best before", which is the phrase you say was on the container.


What I suspect has happened is that Poundstretcher have relabeled (by that I mean "put a new barcode on") the stock, then when they scan those products they come up with a different description and price to the normal stock (assuming they carried the same product with a future BBD)
Alternatively, the only stock of that product which they sell is stock which they buy from the distributor at a lower cost because when they buy it, it is short dated. That way they can buy it cheap and sell it cheap, but they have bought it as short dated.

bod1467

It might be illegal to sell USE BY products past their USE BY date without making this clear. But it is not illegal to sell BEST BEFORE products.

SELL BY is completely meaningless from a consumer standpoint.

browneyedbazzi

SuperHan wrote: »

If it says Use By, it's technically not good to be eaten after that date. These should be sold as Out of Date, not Short Dated as per the packaging, they're not edible (of course they usually are)

Sorry but the point above just is not true.

Things that are past their 'Use By' date must not be sold. Ever. Selling things past the use by date is an offence and the shop could be prosecuted.

mo786uk

check this out

http://www.tradingstandardsblog.com/out-of-date-food-trading-standards/