Out of date food sold at Tesco - WWYD?

ambyuk

I've heard you're supposed to report out of date products being sold to Trading Standards... but that can result in a massive fine, and I'm sure it was just a mistake. But I bought yoghurt this morning for the kids to have with their breakfast, it was reduced, and got home and realised it was out of date! I rung the store and they said to bring it in and I can get a refund (20p yay :rotfl:).

Would you ring Trading Standards or just take it back? (If I take it back I'm actually going to ask to exchange it for in date stuff)

darich

I think given the number of items on supermarket's shelves it's inevitable that occasionally items will be missed or not sold. I'm not saying it's right or ok, just stating that on average or statistically it'll happen.

Personally i'd take the refund/exchange and make a habit of checking the dates of things i put in my trolley.

If the store is a regular seller of out of date goods then trading standards may be interested but given that it's Tesco i'd be surprised if that was the case. I expect they'll apologise profusely and refund without hassle.

uktim29

It wouldn't be Trading Standards but Environmental Health, but you don't have to.

It would be a case of using common sense. As the post above says one or two items may get missed. See what happens in store, your bound to get a refund.

There is no rule/guideline/law that says everything the is out of date has to be reported to someone. Also you get best before dates & use by date. Products can still be sold after a best before date has passed but not a use by.

darich

uktim29 wrote: »

Products can still be sold after a best before date has passed but not a use by.

That may be the case legally but when i worked in Safeway years ago, any product that was going beyond its best before date was reduced and sold that day so it would be out of the store by the best before date.
Other shops may have different approaches.

eyelinerprincess

Things do get missed, I know from experience (in Spar we had a woman bring back a chocolate bar that was 6 months out of date - cue a frantic code check of every choccie bar in the place), but that was due to incompetence of the staff (not me, I'd take ages cos I'd code check every one)

colin79666

I'd take it back (if you haven't already). If it happens a lot then by all means complain to Environmental Health - they can't follow up every individual case but they will investigate if there is serious risk to public health and/or its not just the very odd occurrence.

reehsetin

i got some chicken from waitrose that went out of date the day before, wouldnt usually mind too much but it was chicken and expensive went back at the refunded me double!

Zara33

Surely tesco have resolved your complaint by telling you to take the item back, i would like others have said put it down to human error no harm done.

moneysaver12

ive come across out of date goods in the supermarket and in the past pointed them out to staff

Markyt

I'd check before I bought it.

sarahg1969

I'd just use yoghurt that's out of date. It lasts ages past it BB date. You can tell it's off because the top blows.

For the sake of 20p, I'd use it or bin it.