Tesco DL--Freshness of Meat/Produce?

zyndacyclone

I'm wondering if this is just me.

Lately, I've found that the quality of certain products in Tesco seems very bad. The worst has been the meat, twice since the other Tesco closed, I've opened a packet of just purchased meat only to find it putrid. Then last weekend, I purchased some steak which smelled fine, used it in a stir fry and everyone who ate it was vomiting and had diarrhea within a few hours, lasting about two days. [On every occasion, prepackaged by Tesco meat from freezer.]

Also, I've found that a lot of fresh veggies are unusable a day after getting home. Lettuce, for example, seems often to have brown rotten liquid in the bottom of the bag, so much so that I now either buy it in another store or hold Tesco's up to the light and practically go through it leaf by leaf.

Before you ask, yes, I do store things properly, and I'm meticulous about hygiene. But the meat in particular is scaring the heck out of me. Three incidents in so short a time doesn't seem right.

So, anyone else have problems? I'm wondering if their freezer temperatures are off or they have bad product turnover?

uch

You are better getting your meat products from your local Butcher as meat alone is their livleyhood so I find it's far superior quality, wouldn't touch prepacked supermarket meat.

Fratton Fred

I've found that, particularly with mince. I've had the same thing happpen with meat bought in superquin Blackrock as well.

Sergeant

Happens in Tesco´s all round the country. Horrible quality of fruit, veg and meat. Wiser to consider shopping in local butcher, veggie shop, and one of the German discounters if you want to spend less and eat better.

Corsendonk

Fratton Fred wrote: »

I've found that, particularly with mince. I've had the same thing happpen with meat bought in superquin Blackrock as well.

OP seems to be getting fridges mixed up with Freezers.:D But the discolouration of meat described by the OP and your own experiences are usually caused by some temperture abuse in the supplychain. Mince because of the nature of the tissue damge in its preparation is always the first meat product to discolour if the fridges arn't up to the job or the product was left out of the fridge for any time.

Just go into any 24/7 Tesco late at night and see the amount of chill stock they have out on the floor waiting 3-4 hours to be packed into a fridge. God knows what happens behind closed doors. I know a couple of the people who repair retail fridges in supermarkets and in their opinion Tesco buy some of the worst fridges on the market and do very little instore cleaning of them. I imagine SQ have similiar issues caused by cutting back man hours and cutting corners with the chill chain. Marks and Sparks apparently have the RollsRoyce of fridges and keep them well maintained.

Fratton Fred

Corsendonk wrote: »

OP seems to be getting fridges mixed up with Freezers.:D But the discolouration of meat described by the OP and your own experiences are usually caused by some temperture abuse in the supplychain. Mince because of the nature of the tissue damge in its preparation is always the first meat product to discolour if the fridges arn't up to the job or the product was left out of the fridge for any time.

Just go into any 24/7 Tesco late at night and see the amount of chill stock they have out on the floor waiting 3-4 hours to be packed into a fridge. God knows what happens behind closed doors. I know a couple of the people who repair retail fridges in supermarkets and in their opinion Tesco buy some of the worst fridges on the market and do very little instore cleaning of them. I imagine SQ have similiar issues caused by cutting back man hours and cutting corners with the chill chain. Marks and Sparks apparently have the RollsRoyce of fridges and keep them well maintained.

That is pretty much what I thought it would be.

You can have all the refrigerated transport you like, but if someone unloads it and leaves it on the loading dock for two hours it is all wasted.