What's up with this??? (Annoyed)

[NR3]

I agree as well. I honestly don't think it's intentional. But surely i'll be checking expiry dates more often.

It's good you checked the dates - many people just don't.

I agree with Minou and Shwa Girl on their points above!

[padfoot]

Sometimes stores may not be checking every week. And sometimes they may not have even known things like hair bleach could expire!

But like what everyone else already said, I agree with them. Regardless if they say the product is final sale, bring the expired product back! Or/and contact HO and make complaints.

[katie333]

It may not be illegal but it does seem a bit odd that it's not clearly marked, nor marked down. It's either the store trying to knowingly sell expired items without being up front about it, or they have poor quality control over their inventory.

One of my local SDM has a clearly marked cart they park at the front of the store, with a bunch of soon-to-expire food items that are drastically marked down to about $1 each. I think this is a much more acceptable practice, and frankly makes me feel good about shopping there. I can get a deal if I want to, and I also know they are keeping a good watch on expiry dates.

[Silk]

Goodness people, it is hair bleach! 10 years ago it wouldn't even HAVE an 'expiry' date. They put it on there to keep themselves from being liable should the product not perform after that date. Best before/expiry dates are used to reference the shelf stability of a product and guaranteed freshness and performance quality. It is not BAD because it's past that date, especially for things like this.

It is actually NOT illegal to sell 'expired' food in Canada (MANY stores do it, in fact there are hundreds that do, but fresh foods usually are thrown out after their best before date to prevent any possibility of a lawsuit), and non-edible products have expiry dates SOLELY as a guarantee of shelf stability until that date. You are ABSOLUTELY allowed to sell 'expired' products, it is not illegal at all and I don't know where exactly that information is coming from. The ONLY exception is baby formula which IS illegal to sell if expired.

If you find expired products and you don't want to purchase them or have unwittingly purchased an expired product, return it to the store. If the store will not take it back, take it up with their head office, but I can assure you you're in no more danger from that bleach than you would be had you purchased it in May.



Products Sold Past the “Best Before” Date

Products can be sold after their best before date provided that:

1) The product is not labeled, packaged, treated, processed or advertised in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive.

2) The product is fit for human consumption:

a) does not contain any poisonous or harmful substances,

b) does not consist in whole or in part any filthy, putrid, disgusting, rotten, decomposed or diseased animal or vegetable substance

c) is not adulterated

d) was not manufactured, prepared, preserved, packaged or stored under unsanitary conditions.

Foodsafetynetwork.ca

That's interesting. But it's not the info I got from a store. I spotted an item that was 1-day expired and offered to buy it at a discount and they said they were not allowed to sell it to me by law. I wonder if legally there's a difference between 'expiry dates' and 'best before dates'...? Anyone know?

I returned a product to sdm that I saw (when I got home) was past the expiry/BB date. When I returned to the store with it, I checked to do a possible exchange and all the products were past the expiry/BB. The manager had them off the shelf before I left the store.

I personally have never heard of stores openly selling expired products, food or otherwise

As I understand it - and please someone correct me if I'm wrong but this is the way a couple of companies have explained it to me - the best before date indicates the date after which the product begins to lose its effectiveness/freshness. So why would I want to buy a product *after* it's BB date?

p.s. That part b creeps me out!: b) does not consist in whole or in part any filthy, putrid, disgusting, rotten, decomposed or diseased animal or vegetable substance

Yuk!

Silk

[Chantel]

That's interesting. But it's not the info I got from a store. I spotted an item that was 1-day expired and offered to buy it at a discount and they said they were not allowed to sell it to me by law. I wonder if legally there's a difference between 'expiry dates' and 'best before dates'...? Anyone know?

I returned a product to sdm that I saw (when I got home) was past the expiry/BB date. When I returned to the store with it, I checked to do a possible exchange and all the products were past the expiry/BB. The manager had them off the shelf before I left the store.

I personally have never heard of stores openly selling expired products, food or otherwise

As I understand it - and please someone correct me if I'm wrong but this is the way a couple of companies have explained it to me - the best before date indicates the date after which the product begins to lose its effectiveness/freshness. So why would I want to buy a product *after* it's BB date?

p.s. That part b creeps me out!: b) does not consist in whole or in part any filthy, putrid, disgusting, rotten, decomposed or diseased animal or vegetable substance

Yuk!

Silk

What kind of food were you purchasing? I have purchased expired salad dressing at Superstore, but got a similar "we can't sell it to you" when I asked about some dry garlic ribs from their refrigerated dinners section. Foods like meat and fresh stuff they will not sell/cannot sell because of the high risk of people getting sick eating old/bad meat and the like. There may be a law there but there is definitely a lawsuit prevention policy in place as well.

But that does NOT extend to other foods. Bulk barn and the health food store here for example have sold me expired goods, including cereal and packaged cookie/cracker/chip type goods. They were marked to clear but because they don't pose an immediate risk of spoilage like fresh meats or prepared meals, there is little chance of you getting sick or it killing you.

As for why people would buy expired goods? It depends how expired. I bought a bunch of ryvita crackers for 25c a pack, and they're still good. If they stop being fresh, I'll grind them into crumbs and use them on chicken. Price is the reason for me. A BBD is only a "we promise it's perfect until this time, and after we can't guarantee it's still as good". Just to cover their butts, it doesn't mean the product actually will not work past then.

I guess it depends where you go though, some places will sell expired stuff openly, but it's almost always marked down so you know what you're getting into if it's a food product.