"No date, helps reduce waste" For whose benefit is this?

jackieblack

I don’t think it can be the date packed, not in Tesco at least - I bought  broccoli on Tuesday (27th) which shows L29 (29th December?) and another yesterday (29th) showing A03 (3rd Jan?) - still it’s useful to know 

Katiehound

sarah1972 said:

 

If people really want the freshest and best value then a greengrocer or market is the way to go or as my Nan does, buy frozen, other than salad items. 

Personally I love the idea as we never had best before dates on veg when I was growing up so not sure why people obsess about it nowadays. 

the greengrocer is dearer than the supermarket where I live.
The market? not thriving , and difficult to carry heavy shopping from there if you don't walk well.
.Supermarket wins hands down as you can park freely almost outside the door

  Times have moved on since you were growing up. No there weren't dates on things then... but there are now. It's called progress!!  The problem is most of the older generation know that the date is (generally) just a guide line, they know about smelling things, looking at things for mould... and if looks alright and smells alright then it's fine to eat. 
 Younger ones have grown up with dates and they believe everything they read. I do know of folk who throw things away the day before the date arrives. More money than sense.

Fortunately we are entitled to our own opinions.
 I prefer that the date is there.
I don't go throwing things away: if you were brought up with very little money it usually colours your judgement as an adult.
(Oh, and no, I don't want frozen veg- I want fresh- the freezer is saved for other things!)

YoungBlueEyes

Katiehound said:

  Times have moved on since you were growing up. No there weren't dates on things then... but there are now. It's called progress!!  

<snip>

I think that's a bit harsh. If putting dates on things was "progress!!" why are they now getting rid of them?

I'm all for frozen stuff, more nutritious and convenient. Just wish I had a bigger freezer ha haa!

dealyboy

I don't think it's an either/or/or ... supermarket fresh/frozen/market, I think it's a matter of choice. Removing BB dates is a backwards step, restricting information and therefore choice.

I buy both supermarket fresh bagged produce and frozen (edit: and tinned), I rarely if ever buy from our market (I live in a market town). It is not convenience (my time is my own as an OAP) but quality and price that matter for me. I will not buy lower quality and will either shop around, miss out on the product, or buy up.

I'm afraid my view of markets and greengrocers and indeed corner shops is coloured by my experiences of 60 years ago and since. Often the choice of items is limited and influenced directly by the proprieter and the price is often higher.

I remember when supermarkets first came in to the UK, they introduced freedom into shopping. I could go in, look at things without buying and not be asked if I could be helped, Over the years with new entrants competition has improved the shopping experience considerably.

Whereas initially supermarkets caused lots of closures of the small food retailers and produce prices were high, this has changed completely and now there is considerable choice and value as we've never seen before.

Katiehound

I didn't necessarily mean that 'progress' was a good thing... it certainly isn't always.
But times, lifestyles, work practices etc have all moved on.

The point is that in the past many more women weren't working outside the home, they expected to go shopping regularly, even daily. Smaller grocery chains were available like International/ Liptons and greengrocers shops were the norm. Stock was therefore rotated, things didn't need to last a long time if they were going to be cooked/ eaten that day or the next.  

Nowadays many folk shop just once a week, they don't want fruit & veg to go off in that time period therefore they look for items that have a good date. 

Don't ask me how some folk stick rigidly to the dates. It's a system that has misfired. (A bit like the government telling us that we should all buy diesel cars?)

and no, I still don't want loads of frozen veg in my freezer. Frozen peas are fine but broccoli? cauliflower? 

Bacman

Not dating dairy could be dangerous (there was talk of that happening at some point) as you have no way to know the condition of milk, cream or yoghurts; you can see mould in cheese through packaging though.

Not great for online ordering when you could have a lot of your fruit and veg past date and the supermarket gets away with it..

dealyboy

Katiehound said:

I didn't necessarily mean that 'progress' was a good thing... it certainly isn't always.
But times, lifestyles, work practices etc have all moved on.

The point is that in the past many more women weren't working outside the home, they expected to go shopping regularly, even daily. Smaller grocery chains were available like International/ Liptons and greengrocers shops were the norm. Stock was therefore rotated, things didn't need to last a long time if they were going to be cooked/ eaten that day or the next.  

I think in many ways 'progress' has not been a good thing. Where progress has meant that a 'housewife' has become almost extinct (and I'm not being sexist), both husband and wife these days need to work, a house is unaffordable for many, and a family is an endangered species. Thanks Katie 

dealyboy

Hi Bacman ...

Bacman said:

Not great for online ordering when you could have a lot of your fruit and veg past date and the supermarket gets away with it..

An awful lot of the reviews of supermarkets on Trustpilot have complained about shortdated stock delivered to them in the last year, what better than to remove the offending date? Call me an old cynic 

sarah1972

YoungBlueEyes said:

Katiehound said:

  Times have moved on since you were growing up. No there weren't dates on things then... but there are now. It's called progress!!  

<snip>

I think that's a bit harsh. If putting dates on things was "progress!!" why are they now getting rid of them?

Couldn’t agree more. 

Clearly it’s getting some people snippy, oh well. They will have to get used to it soon and then maybe, just maybe there will be less food waste. 

I’ve never seen dates on loose veg in a supermarket so I don’t understand why people are annoyed unless they are buying plastic wrapped, cold stored for months veg that they actually believe is fresh 🤣 Oh the irony 

alicef

I’ve never seen dates on loose veg in a supermarket 

The info should be on the side of the large box holding the loose veg/fruit.  Of course if the remnants of an older box is tipped into a newer one then it is a moot point.