Would you buy products after their best before date?
A supermarket chain is to start selling food that is up to a month beyond its ‘best-before’ date in an attempt to reduce waste.
From today, shoppers at the Co-op’s 125 East of England stores will be able to buy a range of out of date products for just 10p.
It will include a large range of items including tinned goods, such as fruit and beans, dried food such as pasta and rice and packet goods including crisps, confectionery and cereal.
The scheme does not include any products with a ‘Use By’ date, including meat, fish and dairy.
It is the first time a major UK food retailer has begun selling food outside its best before date and it is thought others might follow.
It is also hoped the scheme might help educate consumers as to the different definitions of the confusing food safety labels.
What are your views? Would you be happy to buy a product once it has passed its ‘best before date’? Do you currently have items in your cupboard that have passed their BBD and will happily use them? Or are you quite strict about following the guidelines to the letter?
What are your views?
We'd love to hear your comments
Log in to comment
You need to be logged in to interact with Silversurfers. Please use the button below if you already have an account.
LoginNot a member?
You need to be a member to interact with Silversurfers. Joining is free and simple to do. Click the button below to join today!
JoinCommunity Terms & Conditions
Content standards
These content standards apply to any and all material which you contribute to our site (contributions), and to any interactive services associated with it.
You must comply with the spirit of the following standards as well as the letter. The standards apply to each part of any contribution as well as to its whole.
Contributions must:
be accurate (where they state facts); be genuinely held (where they state opinions); and comply with applicable law in the UK and in any country from which they are posted.
Contributions must not:
contain any material which is defamatory of any person; or contain any material which is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory; or promote sexually explicit material; or promote violence; promote discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age; or infringe any copyright, database right or trade mark of any other person; or be likely to deceive any person; or be made in breach of any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence; or promote any illegal activity; or be threatening, abuse or invade another’s privacy, or cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety; or be likely to harass, upset, embarrass, alarm or annoy any other person; or be used to impersonate any person, or to misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person; or give the impression that they emanate from us, if this is not the case; or advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act such as (by way of example only) copyright infringement or computer misuse.
Nurturing a safe environment
Our Silversurfers community is designed to foster friendships, based on trust, honesty, integrity and loyalty and is underpinned by these values.
We don't tolerate swearing, and reserve the right to remove any posts which we feel may offend others... let's keep it friendly!
I know that customers move stock, and some ( I am one) look for the longest date, but if the food is displayed incorrectly in the first place, then you have no idea how long it has been on the shelf.
Still alive and absolutely no health problems.
Fresh foods last well over their use buy date when kept in the fridge.
As for dried food, I would check it for smell and any damage to packaging and probably give it a go, anyway at 73 what's to lose?
When I was growing up we didn't have fridges or freezers, we had (inherited from our parents) common sense. Our veg used to come from the garden, not the supermarket. Our meat used to come from the butchers, not the supermarket. Fruit used to come from the greengrocers, not the supermarket. Most other items came from the local grocer, not the supermarket.
Yes, I do now shop in supermarkets, but I do miss the days when you knew who was serving you & they knew you. They didn't feel the need for "best before" or "use by" dates & neither did we. What we used was eyes, nose & tongue - look, smell & taste.
I have rice, flour, pasta, pulses & more in my larder & lots of the packets are past their due date. If anything starts spouting, I remove it to the food recycling bin. Until it does, it's welcome to stay.
Regarding fresh fruit & veg, I only buy what we need - I can always get some more when it's all gone. I do buy meat to freeze ignoring any dates , especially when it's on special offer.
My parents taught me well, for which I'm very, very grateful. We eat well & healthily & will continue to do so.