Shelf Life Of Products In Stores - Believe It Or Not?

Author: Dean Rouseberg Time for reading: ~6 minutes Last Updated: November 11, 2022

Shelf Life Of Products In Stores - Believe It Or Not?

CHAPTERS (Table Of Contents)

When going to the corner store, the market or a large supermarket for groceries, never forget one of the most important rules of a smart shopper - always carefully study the expiration date of the product you are going to buy. This will help prevent the purchase of low-quality products, which will firstly save your money, and secondly, your nerves. Very often, there are two on the shelf next to each other

When going to the corner store, market or large supermarket for groceries , never forget one of the most important rules of a smart shopper - always carefully study the expiration date of the product you are going to buy. This will help prevent the purchase of low-quality products , which, firstly, will save your money, and secondly, your nerves.

Very often, there are two identical products next to each other on the shelf . Here is only one of them, produced 2 days ago, and the other one expires in 2 days. And more often than not, fresher products are also hidden behind older ones so that they can be disassembled faster. That's why, before taking a product from the shelf, check the expiration date on several of them, first of all, on those that are hidden deeper.

What is the shelf life of products

The shelf life of a food product is understood as a certain period of time during which food products must retain all their organoleptic and physico-chemical product properties that are characteristic of them.

That is, the shelf life of a product is a period of time during which the characteristics of this product are preserved :

Organoleptic properties.
Physico-chemical properties.
Nutritional value.
Permissible content of chemical and biological substances and their compounds.
Permissible content of microorganisms dangerous to life.
Compliance with functional purpose criteria.

The expiration date is determined from the date of manufacture to the critical date. During this interval, the food product is considered suitable for consumption. The date of manufacture is the date of completion of the technical manufacturing process. The shelf life includes the time of storage in the manufacturer's warehouse, transportation, storage in the store and after purchase, at home.

The expiration date of the products to be packaged is determined from the date of production of the products , in no case from the day of packaging. And the shelf life of multi-component products is determined based on the shelf life and storage conditions of all available ingredients.

See the inscription on the package

The label with the indicated expiration date must contain the following points:

An hour. Day, month, year — for products that spoil very quickly, products for dietary and baby food.
Day, month, year — for perishable products .
Month, year — for ordinary products .
Storage conditions.
Terms of consumption.

In addition to the expiration date , other dates may be indicated on the label - the shelf life and the sale date. Many people think that there is no difference between them. In fact, the difference is significant.

If the product has expired , place it in the trash. After eating such a product , we risk getting poisoned.

If the storage period has expired, it means that the quality and properties of the product have changed : it could thicken, change color, and sediment could form in it. However, along with that, this product is safe for health, although it has lost its benefits.

There is even more gloom with the implementation deadline. Ideally, it is set by the manufacturer, taking into account the average storage conditions of the product . This is the period during which the store can keep the product on its shelves. During this period of time, the product maintains its highest quality. But. After its completion , the product will also be edible.

PREMIUM CHAPTERS ▼

Pay Attention To The Appearance Of The Package (Premium)

Pay Attention To The Appearance Of The Product (Premium)

If You Still Purchased A Low-Quality Product (Premium)

Pay attention to the appearance of the package (PREMIUM)

Unfortunately, the expiration date indicated on the package cannot always be a 100% guarantee, as it can be broken or a new one can be pasted on top of the old date.

In order not to fall into a trap, in addition to checking the date indicated on the product , do not forget to pay attention to the appearance of the packaging. An excess of stickers is the first signal to think.

The packaging must not be opened or contaminated, the manufacturing date/ expiration date of the product must be clear. If the product has such packaging, on which there is no place for the inscription, there must be a special appendix containing all the necessary information. If the numbers in the information about the expiration date are erased or there are visible damages, this means that the conditions of storage or transportation were violated, or, moreover, that the product was repackaged. In this case, it is also worth questioning its expiration date .

Also, do not rush to buy food packaged in the store itself - because it is impossible to check their true release date and expiration date .

Pay attention to the appearance of the product (PREMIUM)

Do not be afraid and do not hesitate to carefully examine, smell and touch food . The appearance of the product can give us a lot of information . Roughness, a weathered or cracked surface, a not quite characteristic color and other defects may indicate that such a product is not the first freshness .

If you still purchased a low-quality product (PREMIUM)

In the event that your rights as a consumer were violated and expired goods were sold, you should take measures to prevent a similar situation in the future. First of all, it is necessary to return to the store, show the receipt, the poor-quality product, and demand a refund of the money paid for it, or a replacement for a product with a normal expiration date . That is why, always collect checks and do not throw them away immediately.

A conscientious seller and a store that values its reputation are obliged to fulfill your requirements.

Is it possible to return the product if you do not have a receipt? Maybe if you can prove the fact of purchase. Witnesses can help you if, for example, you went to the store with friends or acquaintances or stood in line behind your neighbors. But in this case, it is better not to rely on surveillance cameras: until you have proven the fact of purchase, the seller does not owe you anything and is not obliged to provide data from his cameras.

If you can prove that the purchase was made here, and the seller or administrator does not recognize that the product is of poor quality, you can contact the Sanepidemstation laboratory and order an examination of the product. You will have to do this at your own expense, but as a result, you will be able to claim compensation for your losses from the seller with compensation for moral damage.

A defective product is subject to return in any case - even when you bought it at a discount at a supermarket promotion. Of course, if you did not know in advance about the defect - for example, a promotional price for the product due to the expiration date or damaged packaging.

If you have already opened the package with a low-quality product, it will be difficult to prove that you bought it in a store. In most of these cases, it was not possible to prove the fault of the store. After all, they can assure you that you spoiled the product yourself - stored it incorrectly, for example, or acted on the order of competitors, creating slander.

If you have a defective product, a receipt or other evidence proving your purchase, but the store refuses your claims, you can always contact the relevant authorities to protect your consumer rights.

In order not to fall into a trap, do not lose your vigilance, do not take the sellers at their word and carefully inspect each item of the product. And if this has already happened, and you bought a low-quality product, remember your consumer rights and that you must return or exchange the defective product, which was not damaged by you.