Cereal from Tesco - six months out of date!

Solarball10

Bought cereal from Tesco on Parnell Street a week ago, only noticed the sell-by date - April 2008! Jesus, I can't believe it...say what you want, I should've checked the sell-by date before purchase, blah blah, doesn't hide the fact that they should NOT be selling stuff ANY time past their sell-by date.

I've emailed Tesco and the Food Safety Authority to complain..

Did this ever happen to anyone else, and if so, what was done about it?

craichoe

ozzyoh wrote: »

Bought cereal from Tesco on Parnell Street a week ago, only noticed the sell-by date - April 2008! Jesus, I can't believe it...say what you want, I should've checked the sell-by date before purchase, blah blah, doesn't hide the fact that they should NOT be selling stuff ANY time past their sell-by date.

I've emailed Tesco and the Food Safety Authority to complain..

Did this ever happen to anyone else, and if so, what was done about it?

Oh yes, friend of mine bought a mars bar that was two weeks out of date, he rang the FSA and they raided the store wearing berets and machine guns. The manager was taken outside and tied to a rock. He was then allowed to flog him with a cat o nine tails for 15 minutes while the public threw tomatoes at him.

In all fairness though, nothing much will happen, you'll get a letter saying "Thank you for your input" there won't be any compensation or anything as nobody became ill as a result .... you will get a new box of cornflakes however.

10-10-20

Why did you involve the FSA?
It was not a safety issue! It wasn't going to kill you!

Just bring it back and explain it to the Customer Service desk. They'll give you a refund or a replacement. Simple as.

Jip

And I don't imagine the box was sitting on the shelves for months either considering that store is not even open 6 months, didn't that only open recently ?

Carturo

Jeez it was obviously overlooked. It was hardly intentional, OK it shouldn't happen but things like this are inevitable from time to time. And when I said that I mean something being overlooked/not checked properly.

Reporting it is not going to stop it in future. Human error and all that. It was a box of cereal. It wasn't as if it was an airplane with a wing hanging off trying to taxi down the run way.

IvyTheTerrible

Bring it back, get a refund.

End of.

Solarball10

Carturo wrote: »

Jeez it was obviously overlooked. It was hardly intentional, OK it shouldn't happen but things like this are inevitable from time to time. And when I said that I mean something being overlooked/not checked properly.

Reporting it is not going to stop it in future. Human error and all that.

Human error? Pretty big error...don't shop assisants have a "rotating" system - where the older (NOT out of date) stock goes to the front, and the newer goes to the back? I dread to think when they last checked the cereal aisle....

To whoever told me to bring it back...it's now half empty, and I don't have a receipt to prove when I bought it...

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

More nonsense! I have picked up items in Supermarkets which were past their best before or sell by dates. I've pointed it out to the store and the items were always replaced with an apology.

You're neither sick nor sore as a result of it so just exchange the bleeding Cornflakes for a frsh box!!

loyatemu

proof here that out-of-date cereal can't hurt you:

http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/000114.php

Solarball10

Xavier Skinny Fan wrote: »

More nonsense! I have picked up items in Supermarkets which were past their best before or sell by dates. I've pointed it out to the store and the items were always replaced with an apology.

You're neither sick nor sore as a result of it so just exchange the bleeding Cornflakes for a frsh box!!

YES, BUT MY MISTAKE WAS I DIDN'T SEE THE SELL-BY DATE UNTIL THE BOX WAS HALF EMPTY!

You reckon if I bring in an empty box, they'll exchange it?

IvyTheTerrible

ozzyoh wrote: »

You reckon if I bring in an empty box, they'll exchange it?

Well then you'ld have scam artists saving all their old boxes.

If you've eaten half of it and you're not sick then what's the problem?
The FSA will just tell you "Best before" is just an indication. It's "Use by" that you have to worry about.

they will change it, they have a no quibble policy - but seriously - it's dried food that hasn't killed you! get over it! god there's people dying from starvation in the world and you're having a freak attack over a few stale cornflakes! you sound like you were only short of admitting yourself to A&E

Solarball10

Grainne C wrote: »

they will change it, they have a no quibble policy - but f*cking seriously - it's dried food that hasn't killed you! get over it! god there's people dying from starvation in the world and you're having a freak attack over a few stale cornflakes! you sound like you were only short of admitting yourself to A&E

Hmmm, exactly where does it imply that I'm "only short" of admitting myself to A & E?

You might not have a problem eating stale food, but I do :rolleyes:

Take a chill pill, no need for language.

apologies for the language - there was no need!

I do have a problem eating stale food - obviously, but it's not a health and safety issue,if they were selling fresh chickens 4 months out of date it's a different story!

Look, the guys doing the rotation of this stock are not always happy in their jobs, I've worked in tesco while I was in school and people (not all!) get treated badly, they couldn't give a damn if your cornflakes are out of date cos they're not paid enough to care - simple as.

As I said, they have a no quibble policy and if you bring the half eaten box back, they will replace them. To be honest, I'd say you'll probably get some vouchers from them too.

pickarooney

ozzyoh wrote: »

YES, BUT MY MISTAKE WAS I DIDN'T SEE THE SELL-BY DATE UNTIL THE BOX WAS HALF EMPTY!

You reckon if I bring in an empty box, they'll exchange it?

Your mistake was not keeping your receipt. You lose. Play again.

eth0_

I'm really glad the OP has contacted the FSA about this.

Tesco is the only grocery shop i've ever bought food from that was WELL out of date, on several occasions. I won't set food in their shops now, they just don't care about their customers at all. I know several other people who have had the same experience.

There is absolutely no excuse for this!

pickarooney

pickarooney wrote: »

Your mistake was not keeping your receipt. You lose. Play again.

keeping the receipt?? who honestly keeps the receipt to every grocery shopping they've ever done? And Tesco don't expect you to either, in fact, if you have a clubcard and used it then they have he details of what you bought so you've got proof of purchase!

Solarball10

Grainne C wrote: »

keeping the receipt?? who honestly keeps the receipt to every grocery shopping they've ever done? And Tesco don't expect you to either, in fact, if you have a clubcard and used it then they have he details of what you bought so you've got proof of purchase!

Dammit, I don't have a clubcard!!

Do you reckon they would take a half-eaten box back anyway though? Like someone already said, I could be a scam artist having bought the box way back in February or March, eaten half, then said "Oh, I'll wait until April passes, then go back, pretend I bought them recently, and kick up a big fuss to get free stuff!" I don't even care about free stuff...I 'd just like to see 'em get a rap on the knuckles for this kind of carry-on.....

ozzyoh

ozzyoh wrote: »

Dammit, I don't have a clubcard!!

Do you reckon they would take a half-eaten box back anyway though? Like someone already said, I could be a scam artist having bought the box way back in February or March, eaten half, then said "Oh, I'll wait until April passes, then go back, pretend I bought them recently, and kick up a big fuss to get free stuff!" I don't even care about free stuff...I 'd just like to see 'em get a rap on the knuckles for this kind of carry-on.....

Well if they even try to plant that one on you kick up the biggest fuss about how they don't respect or trust their customers and how dare they call you a liar, i'll see your box of cornflakes and raise you two boxes of frosties

Solarball10

Hmmm, you know what, I'll try it! Let you know how I get on....
Just got the following back from Tesco:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. Allow me to apologise sincerely for the out of date product you purchased in our Parnell Street store recently. Staff are trained to identify and remove from sale any products that are approaching their sell by date. Obviously in this case, this has not happened and staff will need to be retrained on this immediately.

I have passed a copy of your mail to the management team in store, requesting that they investigate this matter fully. If you would like to be contacted by a member of management in store directly regarding this, please provide a contact number and I will arrange for this to happen.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention and please accept my apologies for any inconvenience caused.

pickarooney

Grainne C wrote: »

keeping the receipt?? who honestly keeps the receipt to every grocery shopping they've ever done? And Tesco don't expect you to either, in fact, if you have a clubcard and used it then they have he details of what you bought so you've got proof of purchase!

People who expect to have some comeback when a product is not up to scratch.

krudler

pickarooney wrote: »

People who expect to have some comeback when a product is not up to scratch.

I keep reciepts for every product that may not be up to scratch, you never know when an out of date cereal will turn my life upside down, jesus christ talk about making a mountain out of a molehill, it was a simple mistake, they responded, you're not dead, move on

pickarooney

pickarooney wrote: »

People who expect to have some comeback when a product is not up to scratch.

god how crap would life be if I always expected the worst from my weekly shop!

shoelaceface

krudler wrote: »

I keep reciepts for every product that may not be up to scratch, you never know when an out of date cereal will turn my life upside down, jesus christ talk about making a mountain out of a molehill, it was a simple mistake, they responded, you're not dead, move on

never had problem with tescos, shelves are constantly being restocked!

only time we had to bring something back was with a multipack of 7up (3 pack) the middle bottle had no 7up in it, had got punctured along the way and leaked out before we bought it! brought it back, not a word was said, replaced and out the door within minutes! no hassle at all!

Alanstrainor

Okay, i'll agree that it should never have happened, but it was a "Best before" date, and not a "Use by" date. They are both very different.

jor el

ozzyoh wrote: »

doesn't hide the fact that they should NOT be selling stuff ANY time past their sell-by date.

Mistakes happen, minimum wage shelf packers aren't the most highly trained. When I worked for Dunnes, I had a 5 minute training and induction course.

ozzyoh wrote: »

I've emailed Tesco and the Food Safety Authority to complain..

Did this ever happen to anyone else, and if so, what was done about it?

You shouldn't have gotten the FSA involved, it's nothing to do with them, and you'll only look silly for doing so. If you tell the manager of the store, they'll have any past sell by date product removed. What else would you like?

ozzyoh wrote: »

YES, BUT MY MISTAKE WAS I DIDN'T SEE THE SELL-BY DATE UNTIL THE BOX WAS HALF EMPTY!

You reckon if I bring in an empty box, they'll exchange it?

A best before date is just that, best before. After this date, it'll simply be not as good as it could be, but nothing wrong with it. Even if they turn soft, they're still OK to eat, they'd just taste strange (maybe).
Either continue eating it, as there's nothing wrong, dump it, or bring it back to the shop. A "use by" date on fresh meat or dairy products is a different story, as they can become dangerous to consume.

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

Well then you'ld have scam artists saving all their old boxes.

I don't imagine any scammer would bother to con Tesco out of half a box of cornflakes, unless it's a slow day for the 419ers and they can get the refund by Western Union :P

Xcellor

IMO its a bit over the top to make a big song and dance over this, dried goods that are sealed are not going to kill you or make you sick. Refund/Replacement would be offered no question asked.

However Tescos do make a habit at least in my Longford branch of selling rancid fruit with reduced stickers on. I thought I saw a real bargain there the other day, half price strawberries. On closer inspection they were no longer strawberries but boxes of penicilin/mould. If it had of been one box you could say, "Oh it was overlooked... or it just went mouldy..." but there was a couple of shelves of this. They also like to put rotten fruit in plastic bags and try and sell it at reduced prices. I guess they hope the plastic will cover the smell and rotten appearance of whatever lies underneath.

If it isn't fit for human consumption why is it being sold?

I can accept reduced prices on things that are nearly past their sell by date but are still good but these types of "bargains" are just plain wrong.

The staff at the check out don't recognize rotten either... The other day I did a test, I purposefully let a potato which had a large chunk of mould on it and put it on the conveyor. It was weighed and scanned without any mention despite the fact it was fairly obvious it was no longer all potato. I asked for it to be credited but really this should have been spotted.

Longford Tesco you have been named and shamed!!

X

aidan_walsh

Alternatively, check the date on the box before putting it into your basket/trolley.

Corruptedmorals

jor el wrote: »

Mistakes happen, minimum wage shelf packers aren't the most highly trained. When I worked for Dunnes, I had a 5 minute training and induction course.

Lol, it's about 4 hours now. I'd imagine Tesco's is roughly the same.

Musha

Grainne C wrote: »

Well if they even try to plant that one on you kick up the biggest fuss about how they don't respect or trust their customers and how dare they call you a liar, i'll see your box of cornflakes and raise you two boxes of frosties

LOL

craichoe

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

ozzyoh wrote: »

You might not have a problem eating stale food, but I do :rolleyes:.

Can't have been too stale if you didn't notice while you consumed half the box. Worry about the important things in life:P

krudler

Xcellor wrote: »

IMO its a bit over the top to make a big song and dance over this, dried goods that are sealed are not going to kill you or make you sick. Refund/Replacement would be offered no question asked.

However Tescos do make a habit at least in my Longford branch of selling rancid fruit with reduced stickers on. I thought I saw a real bargain there the other day, half price strawberries. On closer inspection they were no longer strawberries but boxes of penicilin/mould. If it had of been one box you could say, "Oh it was overlooked... or it just went mouldy..." but there was a couple of shelves of this. They also like to put rotten fruit in plastic bags and try and sell it at reduced prices. I guess they hope the plastic will cover the smell and rotten appearance of whatever lies underneath.

If it isn't fit for human consumption why is it being sold?

I can accept reduced prices on things that are nearly past their sell by date but are still good but these types of "bargains" are just plain wrong.

The staff at the check out don't recognize rotten either... The other day I did a test, I purposefully let a potato which had a large chunk of mould on it and put it on the conveyor. It was weighed and scanned without any mention despite the fact it was fairly obvious it was no longer all potato. I asked for it to be credited but really this should have been spotted.

Longford Tesco you have been named and shamed!!

X

I wish i that much free time:rolleyes:

Charcoal

Are checkout operators supposed to check your food for you, or should you be doing it yourself....... I thought that they just scanned the goods and took your money!!

Its not illegal to sell food past its best before date. Best before is what it implies - the food is at its best before this date. The quality of the item cannot be guaranteed after that date, but it is not unsafe to consume. Food that has a use-by date must be used by that date and is unsafe to consume after that date.

Wow, there are loads of these posts lately!!

Morgans

It always baffles me how quick the troops are willing to line up behind the supermarket (well there may an occasion or two when its not Tesco) in question in these sorts of threads. I hope that those who always check the dates on their purchases dont just put the out-of-date boxes back onto the shelf to be bought by some poor sucker but bring it to the attention of the store.

There are best before dates for a reason, and i think the least we need from the shops are to stock the food correctly. I think its the mimimum level of service that we should expect. And as is clear from the number of these threads, its not just dried food that is the problem. Most supermarkets are only interested in the bottom line and have little care of the quality of their staff training or how close they adhere to standards. There are some exceptions of course.

But again, I dont know why the general feeling is to blame the original poster for complaining about it. The OP went one step more than I did when I bought a pasteria that was 12 months out of date. I applaud you. Keep up the good work.

Clytus

It could have been mis-labeled by the manufactuer...its been known to happen from time to time.

Anyway...just have a think about how many items Tesco have on their shelves at any one time...its in tens of thousands..even in a small store.

Human error most likely...not a big deal.

I was in Superquinn a few weeks back and spotted a range of part baked bread in MAP packaging...was interested in it so took a closer look and noticed that the manufactuer had mis-matched the packaging. So on the front was displayed the name of the product..in this case a "White Batard loaf"...but on the back..with the ingredient listing,allergen advice and nutritional info, was the packaging for a brown batard loaf. Now thats a doozie. Had i brought it to the stores attention the result would have been pretty nasty for the bakery...i.e product recall..charged for that..charged for lost sales..charged for transport to and from..charged for C.D handeling....so I just left it....but i did get pics on my phone...Ill see if i can upload them and blot out the companys name.

Clytus

Right..got those pics and edited out and company names.

Clytus

Clytus wrote: »

It could have been mis-labeled by the manufactuer...its been known to happen from time to time.

Anyway...just have a think about how many items Tesco have on their shelves at any one time...its in tens of thousands..even in a small store.

Human error most likely...not a big deal.

I was in Superquinn a few weeks back and spotted a range of part baked bread in MAP packaging...was interested in it so took a closer look and noticed that the manufactuer had mis-matched the packaging. So on the front was displayed the name of the product..in this case a "White Batard loaf"...but on the back..with the ingredient listing,allergen advice and nutritional info, was the packaging for a brown batard loaf. Now thats a doozie. Had i brought it to the stores attention the result would have been pretty nasty for the bakery...i.e product recall..charged for that..charged for lost sales..charged for transport to and from..charged for C.D handeling....so I just left it....but i did get pics on my phone...Ill see if i can upload them and blot out the companys name.

aw you should have caused a fuss, how much fun would that be, seeing the product recall posters in store and thinking "i did this"

Charcoal

Its the "compensation" aspect of it that bothers me. Its invitation to treat, no-one is forcing you to buy the products, and if you find a problem with them, generally supermarkets will give you your money back and possibly more to make up for it. Yes I do check everything I put in my trolley, but thats just me. I find the "name and shame" aspect unsettling. If I bought an item of clothing and came home and found a tear or a button missing, would I come on a forum asking whether I should get the consumer agency on to them, and possible the health and safety authority due to the slip hazard of an unauthorised button on the ground somewhere, or would I just take it back to the shop......

In any aspect of a business transaction things can go wrong, I don't believe that the supermarkets are out to try to scam you into buying out of date stock. It was the potato comment that got me - Its not in a cashiers job description to point out to a customer who selected an item themselves that the potato is mouldy.

jahalpin

Kelloggs cereal usually has 2 dates on the top of the box, one is the manufacturing date and the other is the best before date

The Tesco in Parnell Street has only been open since June, so it's highly unlikey that the cereal was out of date when you bought it

karlr42

It was simply an oversight on the part of the store, dry grocery will not be checked for dates as thoroughly as deli/dairy/fruit ang veg. Any reasonable store will be happy to give you a refund, and a spot check on the cereal aisle will most likely be made. No big deal, unfortunate, yes, and I understand your distress- you have every right to complain.
As a sales assistant in Dunnes, customers have once or twice brought out-of-date products to my attention- as a show of professionalism, I've always taken them off the shelves there and then.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Morgans wrote: »

I hope that those who always check the dates on their purchases dont just put the out-of-date boxes back onto the shelf to be bought by some poor sucker but bring it to the attention of the store.

Yes I will always bring out-of-date stock to the attention of a shop. They have alweays acted immediately to remove the stock from the shelves.
I have seen many people do likewise!