Food & Dairy Perishables Since Covid/Brexit

DJ_Eoghan

Over the last year and a half, can't help but notice a massive deterioration in the lifetime of food perishables, particularly dairy. I buy a week's worth of shopping for the family, but have now had to start buying milk daily/every 2 days as I find milk doesn't last the week (even though it would be in date and unopened). I also find it's the same with a lot of vegetables, and even jars of pizza sauce. What I'm trying to figure out is if this is due to supply chain/production issues related to Covid, or if it's something to do with changes arising from Brexit. Anyone else noticed this, and more importantly, know why it's happening?

L1011

Dairy products are nearly entirely produced domestically.

Have you checked your fridge?

DJ_Eoghan

I was going to type something to the effect that it wasn't my fridge, but thought it would be self evident. Yep, I've checked and it's definitely not the fridge. I've also discussed with one or two other friends and they've experienced similar issues.

L1011

Jars of pizza sauce, which would be aseptic and stored at room temperature until opened, going off quicker is not likely to be down to anything else, though.

I've noticed absolutely no change - milk/dairy products are made here, fruit/veg is generally domestic or came in direct not via the UK.

Unless you solely shop in M&S or Iceland?

DJ_Eoghan

nope, Aldi and Tesco. Part of the thing here has to be your shopping & usage profile would need to be the same as mine e.g. buying milk to sit in the fridge and open 6/7 days later.

3d4life

"Part of the thing here has to be your shopping & usage profile would need to be the same as mine e.g. buying milk to sit in the fridge and open 6/7 days later."

Havnt noticed what you were asking about...would frequently have a 3l Tesco own brand milk which does us for 8 - 9 days. Also finding RFQS yogurt & milk good for several days after stated BB date.

If not your fridge, might you be leaving food in ( summer hot ) car .

Cant imagine why sealed jars of wet sauces would be going over prematurely

FWIW Iceland sell 1l bricks of UHT milk from Killeshandra Coop ( full/semi/skim fat versions usually available )

Badly Drunk Boy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117771069#Comment_117771069

I just opened a litre of Tesco milk last night (the 17th) and the milk was dated the 13th. It was grand. I haven't noticed it previously either, and I'm always forgetting to use things when I'm supposed to.

Leg End Reject

I've noticed it with milk too, own brand and Avonmore. Even before it smells it leaves sludge behind in the bottom of the cup after tea or coffee.

Everything in the fridge is cold and lasting, so not my fridge. I used to buy milk for the week too, but now buying it several times a weeks and pouring a lot of it down the sink.

gipi

It could be due to shop deliveries being left out in the heat before being brought into the stores to be refrigerated again? I've noticed milk going off faster in the past few weeks, during our recent spell of warm weather.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117771321#Comment_117771321

I'd go along with this for a theory.

I've noticed milk going off before the use-by date more often than not lately, the own-brand stuff is worse for it than the branded ones.

Why a jar of sauce would go off, I have no idea - they have a shelf-life of years until they're opened! And I've left a jar of pizza sauce in the fridge for waaaaay longer than recommended and not died of it (not recommending that as a course of action, btw).

DJ_Eoghan

I can kind of buy the deliveries being left out theory, except that the milk going off happens in all weather conditions. I have noticed the delivery issue happen too e.g. milk cartons on shelves being wet from being outdoors. However, don't understand why it would just become a thing in the last year or two, unless stores have been cutting back on warehouse staff for Covid (or maybe changes in the supply chain mean deliveries are arriving at hours when staff aren't there).

As regards pizza sauces, I can say that definitively I only get about 4 days from a jar of opened pizza sauce, almost without fail and irrespective of brand. After that, blue mould starts to grow on it. It's a pain in the arse as I don't want to eat pizzas twice in a 3/4 window.