Tesco own brand best before dates

bairn7

This must have been raised before, but I do my shopping normally on a Friday evening so like to pick out the longest dates to last me at least part-way through the next week.

I've noticed that Tesco own brand fruit and veg no longer has a 'best before' date. Instead there is just a numeric code. I assume that the highest code is the most recent, but it is pretty annoying.

I'm probably naive but I thought best before dates etc were required. Obviously not. Given tesco dates on fresh produce tend to be pretty short (a few days at best), I find this a bit underhand.

I'm sure others will disagree, but that is my vent for the day

elsien

Best before is on tinned or packet products etc that won't go off but which might lose some flavour or texture over time.
If it's fresh fruit and veg just use your eyes, nose and sense of touch.

bairn7

elsien wrote: »

Best before is on tinned or packet products etc that won't go off but which might lose some flavour or texture over time.
If it's fresh fruit and veg just use your eyes, nose and sense of touch.

When looking at fresh produce in other supermarkets, with best before dates, one pack with one date may look similar to a pack dated a few days later. Ultimately, the one dated a few days later has more chance staying in that state until the date specified. Hence I look for the latest date. I guess the bigger issue is being provided with 'fresh' produce that only has a 'best before' life of a day or two.

hollydays

bairn7 wrote: »

This must have been raised before, but I do my shopping normally on a Friday evening so like to pick out the longest dates to last me at least part-way through the next week.

I've noticed that Tesco own brand fruit and veg no longer has a 'best before' date. Instead there is just a numeric code. I assume that the highest code is the most recent, but it is pretty annoying.

I'm probably naive but I thought best before dates etc were required. Obviously not. Given tesco dates on fresh produce tend to be pretty short (a few days at best), I find this a bit underhand.

I'm sure others will disagree, but that is my vent for the day

Why not message them and ask

bairn7

hollydays wrote: »

Why not message them and ask

I would, but I've decided instead to vote with my feet, even though it causes me a greater inconvenience by having to travel for longer (although not much longer). In the spirit of the board, I have vented. That was the purpose of my post!

Ilona

Best before dates on fruit and veg are not really needed, use your eyes, touch, and smell, like they did before we had dates on food. My fruit and veg lasts up to two weeks in my fridge after the date anyway.

I wonder if they are not dating things because they are fed up of people reaching to the back of the shelf and leaving all the shorter dates at the front, which then have to be reduced.

ilona

p00hsticks

bairn7 wrote: »

I've noticed that Tesco own brand fruit and veg no longer has a 'best before' date.

MSE covered this as a news story last year
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2018/05/tesco-removes-best-before-dates-to-cut-food-waste/

KatrinaWaves

bairn7 wrote: »

I would, but I've decided instead to vote with my feet, even though it causes me a greater inconvenience by having to travel for longer (although not much longer). In the spirit of the board, I have vented. That was the purpose of my post!

How do you cope in your local greengrocer? Local baker? Local butcher?

None of these items would have sell by dates on yet people manage to buy and at the produce without too much pestilence and death.

mjm3346

bairn7 wrote: »

When looking at fresh produce in other supermarkets, with best before dates, one pack with one date may look similar to a pack dated a few days later. Ultimately, the one dated a few days later has more chance staying in that state until the date specified. Hence I look for the latest date. I guess the bigger issue is being provided with 'fresh' produce that only has a 'best before' life of a day or two.

Given how poor their stock rotation is on dated goods this has just been done so they can keep selling goods way past its best condition and while the older stuff may still be ok to eat the "goodness" has decreased. As soon as they started with this I simply got mine elsewhere as it was easy to do.

unforeseen

I wonder how many people who complain about short dates join the scrum for yellow stickered food?

Pollycat

Ilona wrote: »

Best before dates on fruit and veg are not really needed, use your eyes, touch, and smell, like they did before we had dates on food. My fruit and veg lasts up to two weeks in my fridge after the date anyway.

Indeed.
However did we manage before potatoes came in plastic bags?

I take all my fruit and veg out of the packaging as soon as I've got it home - I keep my potatoes in brown carrier bags or boxes in the garage - so have no idea what the 'best before' date was in the first place.