Sell by Dates

 By Anne Ward

 Has the world gone mad? If a product hasn’t got a date on it, even if it doesn’t need one, some consumers have become so obsessed by them they just won’t buy the item!

There are care lines printed on the back of margarine tubs. What’s it going to do? Shout “help” when it’s empty?

A sell by date is there as an advisory aid – more for the shop than for the purchaser. It’s to tell them how long to display the item before it has to be removed from the shelf. The sell by date doesn’t mean the product is no good once that date has passed.

This is where the confusion lies. This is why perfectly edible food is being needlessly thrown away.

It seems common sense has been forgotten.

If you’re unsure about using or eating something : smell it. Check to see if it’s gone from liquid to solid. Or maybe grown a fungus. If any of these things have occurred then don’t use the item. An advisory date will not tell you that.

There are some instances when the date is of no use at all. Milk is a good example. On the carton it may have a sell by date but at certain times of milking, milk can turn very quickly. Milk may even go off before it’s put on the shelf. It pays to look carefully at the product - not to rely on the date.

Eggs – always open the container to make sure none are cracked.

In my opinion, by putting sell by dates on products, supermarkets have (metaphorically speaking) shot themselves in the foot. By the end of the trading day some goods will have to be reduced in order that as many are sold as possible, otherwise they will end up as waste and be deposited in land fill. The public are aware of this and many plan their shopping times to coincide with the shop’s actions thus grabbing groceries at a knock down price.

It’s good to know that someone is profiting from this madness.