Tesco selling food past its used by date by over 10 days

startingout2016

I purchased produce at full price in my local Tesco on Saturday.
Consumed it immediately and after realising it tasted foul looked at the date.
It had a use by date of over 10 days prior and was not in the reduced section.
I was a bit concerned as I am 6 months pregnant. The item only cost £1 so wasn’t concerned about the money, but contacted Tesco to let them know.
They responded shorty after without even an apology and said they would send me a voucher card for £1 to replace the item.

I wrote back explaining that I wasn’t really interested in the money but expected an apology considering the seriousness of the matter and reiterated that it wasn’t a best before date but a used by date on fresh produce.

Should I bother taking this further?

I am assuming its my pregnancy hormones, but this has given me the rage.

Whenever I have had an issue with produce not being up to scratch in other supermarkets they have been most apologetic and always made the effort to ensure they keep a happy customer.

DCFC79

startingout2016 wrote: »

I purchased produce at full price in my local Tesco on Saturday.
Consumed it immediately and after realising it tasted foul looked at the date.
It had a use by date of over 10 days prior and was not in the reduced section.
I was a bit concerned as I am 6 months pregnant. The item only cost £1 so wasn’t concerned about the money, but contacted Tesco to let them know.
They responded shorty after without even an apology and said they would send me a voucher card for £1 to replace the item.

I wrote back explaining that I wasn’t really interested in the money but expected an apology considering the seriousness of the matter and reiterated that it wasn’t a best before date but a used by date on fresh produce.

Should I bother taking this further?

I am assuming its my pregnancy hormones, but this has given me the rage.

Whenever I have had an issue with produce not being up to scratch in other supermarkets they have been most apologetic and always made the effort to ensure they keep a happy customer.

What was it you bought ?

You say produce so do you mean some veg fruit ?

If it was some veg or fruit Id say no you wont have anything to worry about.

startingout2016

It was freshly squeezed orange juice.

Its been a few days and I am not ill, so I am no longer concerned about my health, but i am not happy with their response

glentoran99

startingout2016 wrote: »

It was freshly squeezed orange juice.

Its been a few days and I am not ill, so I am no longer concerned about my health, but i am not happy with their response

What do you think would be acceptable?

startingout2016

Minimum of an apology. The fact they seemed to think this was normal and happens shocked me as its illegal for a start

glentoran99

startingout2016 wrote: »

Minimum of an apology. The fact they seemed to think this was normal and happens shocked me as its illegal for a start

It does happen, things can be missed, its impossible to be perfect with humans involved, I take it you missed the date too then?

marliepanda

You say consumed it, I'm assuming you only took a mouthful before realising it tasted bad, so a mouthful of dodgy orange isn't going to hurt anyone.

You're overreacting a little bit. Yes the shop shouldn't be selling it; but did you not check the date when buying? You have to take some responsibility

Can you copy paste the actual response of Tesco?

startingout2016

I had just walked a mile into town and was so thirsty I bought it and downed it immediatley.

It tasted foul, but by that time a small £1 bottle insnt many gulps at all.

Its not my responsibility to check the dates though it is the shops by law.

I explained to tesco in my contact with them that its not the first time, but with 10 days out of date thats rediculous and could be dangerous and I dont want to have to check the dates of everything I buy every time. It would take agest.

startingout2016

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
8
18. It is an offence to sell food after the ‘use by’ date. Retailers can however sell products
after the ‘best before’ date provided the product still complies with the General Food Law
Regulation (EC) 178/2002. These prohibit the sale of food which is not of the nature, substance
or quality demanded by the purchaser, or to sell food which does not meet food safety
requirements.
19. Enforcement action may be taken against those who fail to comply with date marking
requirements.

shaun_from_Africa

It's extremely unlikely that any legal action would be taken against a retailer for selling outdated food unless it could be proven that this happened on a regular basis and that the retailer knew or should have known that it was happening.

As long as there are humans involved in anything, there are always going go be occasional screw-ups and unless consumers are willing to see the prices of everything rocketing due to multiple checks and inspections of every items at the point of sale, I'm afraid that it's just something that will have to lived with.

Yes, Tesco could have apologised a bit better but in the end I honestly don't think that it's worth getting too stressed over something that was basically a human error and which doesn't appear to have caused any sudden or long term ill effects.

marliepanda

You downed a bottle of foul tasting orange, but take no responsibility?

Very worrying.

I check dates when I shop. It doesn't take ages at all, it takes a second per item.