Knowingly selling out of date produce

stephen77

ArtDecoGirly wrote: »

It is a big deal if you're elderly or young/ill and that lettuce (which is in the top 7 of things most likely to give you food poisoning) that 'went off' gave them salmonella or E. coli. Yes. A big deal indeed.

Its alright to eat, as I have ate out date items and I was fine.

That's enough evidence for me to dismiss putting dates on foods, my one case study of me.;)

People seem to forget the UK is probably selling around a billion portions of food a day.
The goal is to have zero cases of food poisoning that the manufacturer/retailer can be held responsible for.
As you mention the bagged salad has to cater for people with less than ideal immune systems like the elderly.

Setting of shelf life will also cover off taking your e.g. your bagged salad home from the shop on a warm summer day and leaving it in your hot boot of your car for 2 hours. It will also assume your fridge may not be as cold as it should be.
So while your fine, as you nipped into the shop that you live 3 minutes away from and your fridge at home is running at 2c.
Not everyone is.
Shelf life are based on worst case, not best case.

Smidster

cutestkids wrote: »

A few weeks ago I found over a dozen packs of strawberries reduced to 25p a pack in my local co-op. When the checkout operater put the first one through the till would not accept it and a message had flagged up saying out of date. She called the supervisor who confirmed that they use by date was the day before and she could not overide the till.
I was dissapointed as I had planned on making jam

I had that happen once in a Co-Op...they let me take it for free.

geordie_joe

ArtDecoGirly wrote: »

It is a big deal if you're elderly or young/ill and that lettuce (which is in the top 7 of things most likely to give you food poisoning) that 'went off' gave them salmonella or E. coli. Yes. A big deal indeed.

I wouldn't worry too much about that, if you look at the reasons why it makes the list they are

It may be contaminated by farmyard manure
Unhygienic handling by the farmer
Watered with contaminated water
Grown in contaminated soil
etc.

That really doesn't apply to bagged salad lettuce. It's grown in poly tunnels to extend the growing season and keep pest off it (and to stop bird pooping on it). Grown in sterilised compost, never sees manure, watered with carefully monitored water then washed and sterilised to get get rid of any "foreign objects" and to kill the bacteria so it stays fresh longer and is ready to eat straight from the bag.

salmonella or E. coli. won't start growing on it just because someone put a date on the bag and the clock ticked past midnight on that day.

Most problems with lettuce these days are caused by what people do with it after they open the bag, not because the lettuce was bad before they opened the bag.

So, as long as you are sensible, there should be no problems.

geordie_joe

Tweaker wrote: »

I wouldn't put any more faith in bagged salad over loose salad as being hygienic and safe to eat, always wash it thoroughly, even if It says it is ready to eat.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9939839/Ready-to-eat-salads-from-Morrisons-and-Asda-caused-infection-outbreak-HPA-say.html

Have you actually read that article?

[Deleted User]

stephen77 wrote: »

If its bagged salad, its going to be a use by date.


Not sure on the reduced sections work. But when I have seen people scan items in, I would assume the machine is set up so they can not put yellow stickers on "use by date" products that are out of date?

The "yellow sticker machine" as you put it does not know the difference between an in date and out of day product. Not in Morrisons anyway.

pawsies

ArtDecoGirly wrote: »

It is a big deal if you're elderly or young/ill and that lettuce (which is in the top 7 of things most likely to give you food poisoning) that 'went off' gave them salmonella or E. coli. Yes. A big deal indeed.

Manufacturers always cover themselves by several days. So whereas it may say Use By 15/07/14 actually realistically the manufacturer won't expect anything to happen to it until say 17/18th.
Of course there are always exceptions and I've had things before that have gone off way before the use by date so really you could argue that infirm and elderly people are at risk with any product that has a use by date even if they consume it before that date.

stephen77

pawsies wrote: »

Manufacturers always cover themselves by several days. So whereas it may say Use By 15/07/14 actually realistically the manufacturer won't expect anything to happen to it until say 17/18th.
Of course there are always exceptions and I've had things before that have gone off way before the use by date so really you could argue that infirm and elderly people are at risk with any product that has a use by date even if they consume it before that date.

Most will test for one or two past the originally use by date on short life chilled product.

E.g. a product with a two day life, they will test for 1 day. Product with a 10 day life they will check for 12 days.

However saying that. e.g. a cheese baguette will have a use by date on it, but in reality it will be a best before date as the bread will go stale before the bread goes mouldy and the cheese goes rancid.

While a cheese baguette with coriander salad, this may be a use by date over a best before date as coriander will harbour bacteria's which can start to multiple.

Mee

Thanks for the responses. I think we could argue about produce 'shelf life' ad infinitum. My concern was that the store manager knowingly allowed past used by date produce to be sold and he would have known the implications of doing so. It just seemed so cynical...

dlusman

Mee wrote: »

Thanks for the responses. I think we could argue about produce 'shelf life' ad infinitum. My concern was that the store manager knowingly allowed past used by date produce to be sold and he would have known the implications of doing so. It just seemed so cynical...

He obviously doesnt know the implications - as selling items past "use by" is illegal and opens the store up to possible prosecution. ( which is why one of the posters above was given the strawberries for free )

stephen77

If there is no payment involved can they legally give it away then?

Though if person X does become ill from the said item. Can they still sue etc. Is the store still liable?