Associate
- Joined
- 5 Sep 2012
- Posts
- 254
This really annoyed me today.. in fact, every time it happens it ****es me off.
I work in a supermarket, I shan't disclose which one, because I don't wish to be judged, or put my employer to shame, as I'm sure other supermarkets do the same.
It's few days after the Christmas period, so we were overstocked in the past few days. I got into work this morning, to find that there were 2 cages (big thingies we pull around the shop floor) full of potatoes that went out of date yesterday. Granted, they had been reduced the day before, to try and sell more, but they were still out of date.
Now... We aren't allowed, by law, to sell out of date products. So I had to stand there, for half an hour, throwing PERFECTLY FINE bags of potatoes into wheelie bins. Potatoes that would have lasted another 2-3 weeks and been edible. I filled five wheelie bins. FIVE.
I wanted to refuse!!
That could have fed homeless people. Simple potatoes. That could have gone to a food bank, to help those in need of extra food. That could have had an extra week on the shelf life written on the bag, and sold, just as the day they came into the shop.
The way I see it is, if you would eat it, its in date. We have milk in our fridge that's a week out of date. It smells fine, and tastes fine. As soon as I saw it was out of date, I didn't think "Oh no, I MUST throw this perfectly fine milk in the bin and waste my money!
"
I understand that "Ooh if they get ill, they'll sue us". But something as simple as potatoes?! Why can't they just slap an "Eat at your own risk" sticker on it and be done with it?
I know there's probably a lot more to it, laws, ethical issues and such. It just really ****es me off to see this every single week at work.
I'm interested to your thoughts and explanations in regard to this criminality.
EDIT: When I say 'Out of date' I mean the 'Display until' date you find on fruit and veg products.
I work in a supermarket, I shan't disclose which one, because I don't wish to be judged, or put my employer to shame, as I'm sure other supermarkets do the same.
It's few days after the Christmas period, so we were overstocked in the past few days. I got into work this morning, to find that there were 2 cages (big thingies we pull around the shop floor) full of potatoes that went out of date yesterday. Granted, they had been reduced the day before, to try and sell more, but they were still out of date.
Now... We aren't allowed, by law, to sell out of date products. So I had to stand there, for half an hour, throwing PERFECTLY FINE bags of potatoes into wheelie bins. Potatoes that would have lasted another 2-3 weeks and been edible. I filled five wheelie bins. FIVE.
I wanted to refuse!!
That could have fed homeless people. Simple potatoes. That could have gone to a food bank, to help those in need of extra food. That could have had an extra week on the shelf life written on the bag, and sold, just as the day they came into the shop.
The way I see it is, if you would eat it, its in date. We have milk in our fridge that's a week out of date. It smells fine, and tastes fine. As soon as I saw it was out of date, I didn't think "Oh no, I MUST throw this perfectly fine milk in the bin and waste my money!
"I understand that "Ooh if they get ill, they'll sue us". But something as simple as potatoes?! Why can't they just slap an "Eat at your own risk" sticker on it and be done with it?
I know there's probably a lot more to it, laws, ethical issues and such. It just really ****es me off to see this every single week at work.
I'm interested to your thoughts and explanations in regard to this criminality.
EDIT: When I say 'Out of date' I mean the 'Display until' date you find on fruit and veg products.
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