Asda - wasting perfectly good food

Bacman

I went to our local large store on Monday morning, around 7am and there were loads of bags of reduced potatoes; reduced from about 75p to 10p.

The date was for the previous day, so they were 7 hours overdue however fruit and veg are pretty obvious when they are past their best. These potatoes were in good condition, no ears, nothing wrong with them at all.

I proceeded to load up my trolley with a dozen packs as if you keep them in the fridge at home they will last for about 2 months perfectly fine.

As I was finishing loading up the items, a supervisor started her shift and saw the items and said they had to refuse me buying them as the items were out of date. I said this was proposterous, the food was perfectly fine and I was happy to buy them. I said i'd buy in self-service as then no staff could dispute the date, so please go away. She said as she had seen the items she had to stop me buying them, and the food would GO TO LANDFILL. I said this was nuts, perfectly good food, it isn't dairy so no legitimate reason I can't buy it and shouldn't they be trying to reduce food going to landfill anyway; rather than throwing it away i'd pay their reduced price for it! I couldn't.

This is shocking. I thought supermarkets were trying to reduce waste! Asda - be shamed. Perhaps MSE can get them to change this stupid policy of waste for perfectly fine, non-diary items. They are just potatoes for goodness sake!

Farway

I think you'll find it's embedded in law somewhere, shameful as it is, and no doubt compounded by back covering
https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2017/06/08/Operators-could-face-prosecution-for-selling-out-of-date-food


Most have common sense but if not laid down as Gospel by HO /law then somewhere someone will be clearing out OOD prawns, chicken, mussels etc

FWIW our local SS give away OOD veg to local charities, but it is veg & not stuff like sausages etc


Plus in Supervisor's defence, she was not to know you were not a rogue trader ready to re bag them & flog off to unsuspecting public. Not everyone is honest unfortunately

Bacman

Indeed, she doesn't know who I am or if I represent anything; and she's only doing her job (which is why I didn't give her a hard time, I wanted to appeal to her common sense instead).

Things like vegetables and fruit, ie unprocessed items, do not contain anything that could go off like dairy or other items, they are obvious when gone rogue as they get soft, mouldy or watery. Common sense should therefore prevail for such unprocessed items as long as the customer knows they are over the technical date. Yes, processed foods or fish or things containing rice, or diary, or bread - important not to exceed dates but not if a raw fruit or vegetable.

Manufacturers are at fault on this too, why have best-by dates on fruit and veg? Why also have sell by dates on honey, when it never ever goes off unless gets contaminated? Why also put best-by dates on completely dry products? For example, I had a sugar-free jelly a couple of days ago which was 2 years past best date and was exactly the same as another new one I had yesterday - if they are dry and powdery they won't go off unless get damp.

I was quite sad that such quality food was being dumped, such a waste. I am thrifty with my buying, careful to get the best deals; I also hate wasting food; if I have odds and sods in the fridge I make a meal with them - I am a good cook. That's why it pains to see such good food being wasted.

molerat

Farway wrote: »

I think you'll find it's embedded in law somewhere, shameful as it is, and no doubt compounded by back covering
https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2017/06/08/Operators-could-face-prosecution-for-selling-out-of-date-food


Most have common sense but if not laid down as Gospel by HO /law then somewhere someone will be clearing out OOD prawns, chicken, mussels etc

FWIW our local SS give away OOD veg to local charities, but it is veg & not stuff like sausages etc


Plus in Supervisor's defence, she was not to know you were not a rogue trader ready to re bag them & flog off to unsuspecting public. Not everyone is honest unfortunately

There is a distinct difference in the law between the terms Use By and Best Before. One term has a legal backing the other does not. It seems the organisation in the article was trading the former which is an offence.

PLRFD

I thought spuds had eyes not ears ?

Bacman

(typo) lol

ilovechristmas1

how annoying

imo they would be better giving them away to customers 2hrs before closing,at least customers would benefit,also stop wastage and good for customer PR