Wal Mart Grocerys....Watch The Sell By Dates...

[rsmith6621]

....If you shop at Wal-Mart grocery's you better be watching the SELL BY DATE on the product... For the second time this year we have picked grocery's off the shelf only to find they are past there shelf time....

Yesterday while checking out the cashier mad mention the ground beef looked bad and then she saw the date on the packages and quickly tossed it under the counter...well my wife and I started to check the dates on everything before they were rang up well of the 53 items we put in the cart only 31 made it home.....

We had a chance to speak again to the manager and were told how sorry he was for our experience...and this time offered no compensation like the last time...

Another store we went to looked like they just declared a state of emergency as the shelves were pretty bare.

[tammywammy]

1. Actually that applies to any store. n/t

[Abq_Sarah]

Yep

I check the dates in all 3 local grocery stores. I have found out of date foods in all three stores.

[eShirl]

26. [phone]

[jp11]

28. True.

My local grocery stores almost always have out of date items on the shelves, meats and dairy products are usually the easiest to find. When I had my first job in a grocery store they wouldn't let me spend enough time pulling them out of the dairy department when I was assigned to work there, I had to put more crap on the shelves and maintain stuff over picking out the expired product from the whole aisle.

[eShirl]

32. they must all be cutting back on employees. n/t

[Bitwit1234]

40. You are correct there no matter how large or small

the store I always check the sell by date. The stores are notorious for leaving out dated stuff on the shelves. And that goes for stores other than WalMart. Back in Maryland, Weiss, Giant some of the others missed these.

[mod mom]

2. consider shopping somewhere where they treat their employees with respect like Costco

I've never encounter this problem there.

[CBGLuthier]

23. I would have to travel 200 miles to find a Costco.

Homeland is a big chain that broke their unions and treat their employees like shit. Buy For Less is a big chain that has no unions. There are no local groceries left in town. I have a small organic shop around the corner that would bankrupt me if I shopped there regularly.

Some of us can either have principles or food. There are NO choices.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Why are you shopping at Walmart anyways?

Is it really that much cheaper? (Really, I'm asking, will not set foot in a Walmart myself so I might be missing out.)

[whyverne]

9. Some things save me a buck or two per item.

I do my homework though. And I'm not the only one. Saturday morning I often see the same people at Walmart then we move on down the street to the regular grocery store.

[Warpy]

14. I shopped Wally's when I was poor

and was very, very careful what I got there. I did notice that quite a lot of their stuff was second quality and/or right at the expiration date. That's how they get deals on a lot of it.

The same goes for food at dollar stores.

[proteus_lives]

17. Cheaper for me.

WM and Audis are the cheapest places to shop around here. I've looked into it.

[Curmudgeoness]

22. Just posted #20 about Aldi's. They treat employees better. nt

[elocs]

24. Have you ever considered that there might be people who have no choice?

People here really need to keep that in mind before chastising other for shopping at Walmart.

For business, I need to "set foot in" Walmart 5 times a week and I cannot afford to be self righteous about not doing that.

[Curmudgeoness]

25. Not trying to be self-righteous. But can't understand "no choice". nt

[Kali]

33. well sure there is always a choice

sometimes it is between driving a mile or two and driving 50 or 60

expand your perspective, your situation is not the same as everyone else's

[Curmudgeoness]

35. I can appreciate your point. I would not drive 50 miles further either.

But this brings up one of the most serious problems with Walmart---you lose choices as they put other choices out of business.

[Kali]

37. that is correct

although to be fair in my little town I have watched the sequence over my lifetime of small local, to regional independent to safeway and now wallyworld has invaded. All were supplanted by the next bigger incarnation. Safeway is still hanging but it's survival strategy seems to be going the yuppie route and I don't know how well that will hold for a small rural town, despite the local PsTB wish to become another Phx. (:puke: )

next town over has a farmers market going now - maybe that will finally be what we return to! I have no objection.

[elocs]

39. No, I'm not say "you" are, but some certainly have that attitude.

There are lots of people who live in rural areas who do not have a lot of choice as to where they shop without having to drive a long distance, with that added expense. Sometimes this is not a clear black and white choice for everyone.

[eShirl]

27. 20% cheaper *average* for us

for a typical grocery run

[Curmudgeoness]

30. Seriously? 20% less? Where else would you have to shop? nt

[emilyg]

38. Much cheaper for me.

[RidinMyDonkey]

4. That happens at all stores

Especially with the Dairy products, or anything that has a short shelf life I suppose.

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. I imagine it happens everywhere...

...at one time or another.

Be especially careful of meats.

[d_r]

6. honestly I check the dates on everything anywhere

I read the dates, the ingredients, look at the carbs and the fats, try to figure out the cost per ounce, and so on. I guess I'm a grocery neurotic.

[izquierdista]

11. You could save yourself some time...

...if you went back to hunting and gathering. Right about now, those purple ornamental plum trees are at the peak of season. :rofl:

[d_r]

49. heh :)

you haven't seen how neurotic I am about picking fruits and vegetables; didn't say I didn't have a problem or anything.

[Jennicut]

31. I do too, but I am a diabetic. I read every label. It is exhausting.

[fishwax]

34. our grocery stores here have cost per ounce (or other unit) on the price tag

Very handy -- and sounds like it would save you a lot of time :)

[Lone_Star_Dem]

7. It's an epidemic anymore.

I just accept that I have to check the expiration dates on everything before it goes in the basket. I think sometimes the stocking people are not rotating items and others it's just that it didn't sale and no one ever checks the exp. dates.

[lpbk2713]

8. Let me insert this as long as we're doing "heads up" here.

My last three visits to Lowe's I picked up a clearance item on each visit. Not very expensive, about five bucks or so. When I arrived home on the first two purchases I noticed I was charged the regular price, not the clearance price for that same UPC that was indicated on the display shelf. As I say, it happened again on my latest visit just two days ago but this time I checked my receipt before I got outside the store. I had it corrected and got the item at the stated clearance price. The cashier didn't have much to say about it so I got the impression it's a regular occurrence at Lowe's for customers to be overcharged this way if they can get away with it. So be careful if you buy something at Lowe's on clearance. Make sure you pay the clearance price.

[glinda]

15. Yuppers. I watch when they ring each thing up.

[Warpy]

10. Expired stuff is not all alike

for instance, cultured dairy products like yogurt, sour cream and buttermilk can be good if they're unopened up to a month after the sell by date. They will get a bit more acidic, but they will be entirely edible if they haven't turned funny colors or grown fungus.

Expired meats will no longer be bright red on the surface because the cells are no longer capable of doing so. The fluorescent lighting is what turns the surface red, which is why the interior is always greyish brown. Meats can still be good if they pass the sniff test, just cook them thoroughly. Chicken is a little chancier, but I've successfully used chicken with slight funk in soups and stews with a lot of seasoning.

Expired canned goods will have lost some flavor, but again, if the cans aren't bulging and the contents pass the sniff test, they're likely good. Simmering for 10 minutes will destroy botulin toxin if you're paranoid.

Expired food can be a great buy if you find it on the shelf. Just don't be afraid to ask the manager to mark it down for you. If he won't, give it a miss in favor of stuff that's being sold before it's expiration date.

[whyverne]

16. I always laugh at my sour cream. I often use it way past the date.

But it's supposed to be "sour" cream!

[Warpy]

46. I like it really puckery, too

and the only time I'd see stuff like that when I was poor was when I'd call a manager's attention to it and get it marked down.

Most label readers try to look for stuff that's on the "good" side of a sell by date. I did the opposite.

[Swamp Rat]

12. Whatever the date says on Wal-Mart 'groceries', add at least one month.

For boxed goods, add 6 months, and canned goods, three years.

Bon appetit!

:puke:

[glinda]

13. Stores seem to be buying nearly expired items as they must get a price break.

[HockeyMom]

18. Go in the back of the shelves

My daughter used to work in a supermarket and was a roomie with a supermarket manager. They put the OLDEST date goods in the front to move the old stock. Be careful with the milk and dairy products. Always look in the back of the shelf for the freshest dairy.

[bergie321]

19. I shop at Fresh & Easy a lot

And they are pretty good at pulling expired stuff. They also mark down perishable items that are getting close to their date.

[Curmudgeoness]

20. Do you have an Aldi's in your area? I have few problems there

and prices are great, as long as you are not opposed to buying generic (but I have never noticed they are inferior). If you don't have one, check it out if it does hit your area.

[Kali]

21. you should check those things anyway at any store

also watch for sudden decreases in size/weights of things - ice cream is the classic, but I caught safeway pushing 5 lb bags of C and H sugar that were 4 lbs. Not sure if they knew and it was really c and h's fault but it was a scam on the consumer either way. 4 pound bags of sugar! been 5 all my life.

[tammywammy]

29. They've been 4 pound bags since I was a kid

I remember my mom bitching that they used to be 5 pounds and changed to 4 and kept the price the same. (I'm 29, so probably in the late 80s/early 90s this happened)

[Kali]

36. no way! not out here anyway

just double checked since you freaked me out - 5 lbs (maybe I should actually weigh it too - I'm always suspicious of that too, but shifting into actually weighing things on top of all the price comparing I already do plus hitting 3 different stores might give me a nervous breakdown - :rofl: )

5 lbs is what I have in the stash drawer (and almost always cheaper per lb than the 10lbs WTF? )

I knew right away when I grabbed the c and h something was different - the package was slimmer. The shelf tag was for 5 lbs and had it broken down to the per ounce price for that as well, but smaller pkg and only 4 lbs.

[tammywammy]

41. I've heard my mom talk about it often enough

"They thought we wouldn't notice, but I did."

Don't be surprised if they're 4lbs from now on. :)

[Obamanaut]

42. There are expiration dates on many products, sold by many stores.

A prudent shopper will check these dates regardless of the store.

[TheCowsCameHome]

43. I never thought of looking for a date at a WalMart.

Desperate times require deperate measures.

[Warpy]

47. Here you go

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

[TheCowsCameHome]

50. Oh man, another keyboard ruined...........

:rofl:

[AnArmyVeteran]

44. They still selling beef laced with carbon monoxide

Grocers pack meat in packages of steaks and ground beef with carbon monoxide to make the color redder and more appetizing, even if it is old meat. Even if the meat is past the expiration date it can still look fresh because it's bathed in carbon monoxide.

Also: When you buy chicken breasts you are paying more than you think per pound because the corrupt marketers spray the chicken with water and charge you about 18% extra. One of these days you'll see a one ounce piece of meat encased in a ten pound block of ice and it will cost $50 because you'll have to pay by the pound for the ice.

Another is the shrinking cans and contents in packaging. We're paying more and more and getting less and less. It's easy to offer lower prices if you are selling a can or package that is only half full. At one time all cans used to be 16 ounces. Now they are down to 12, 10 and 8. Eventually you will have to pay ten times as much and you'll just get the label. Even the can will be gone.

Marketing is just another word for a con game filled with slight of hand and trickery. Students are taught to trick, deceive and manipulate. They will do any trick in the book to get you to buy something.

[Donnachaidh]

45. and meat is gussied up with carbon monoxide to make it look *fresh*

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/latest/carbon-monoxide-beef-47103005

Here's the secret: Meat packers dose red meat with carbon monoxide to give it long-lasting color. Great for sales at the meat counter, apparently safe to eat -- but inherently deceptive. And, because that deception can trick people into buying old, or even spoiled, meat, consumer groups are fighting to ban the practice.

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/latest/carbon-monoxide-beef-47103005#ixzz0rvK4zXKj


So even the dates can be a big lie

[Warpy]

48. They don't need to do that, if in fact they do

From the FDA:

Why is pre-packaged ground beef red on the outside and sometimes dull, grayish-brown inside?
Oxygen from the air reacts with meat pigments to form a bright red color which is usually seen on the surface of meat purchased in the supermarket. The pigment responsible for the red color in meat is oxymyoglobin, a substance found in all warm-blooded animals. Fresh cut meat is purplish in color. The interior of the meat may be grayish brown due to lack of oxygen; however, if all the meat in the package has turned gray or brown, it may be beginning to spoil.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/ground_beef_and_food_safety/index.asp

There is no inherent benefit to using carbon monoxide since the combination of fluorescent lighting and oxygen at the surface will do the same thing. Spoiled meat won't turn red no mater how much CO you give it.