Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
Jenny, she was being sarcastic. I got it immediately. She was putting down Big Business as being uncaring about the poor. By the end of her post, she was all for the idea.
New Grocery Store to Exclusively Sell Expired Food
- Thread starter Rocket_J_Dawg
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Jenny, she was being sarcastic. I got it immediately. She was putting down Big Business as being uncaring about the poor. By the end of her post, she was all for the idea.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
Jenny, my bad! I made it sound like you are stupid not to get it. My apologies.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
But Addie I am stupid much of the time! Don't defend me! Smooches to you for the "sorry"
I really didn't understand her point in the context of the expired food store discussion.
I really didn't understand her point in the context of the expired food store discussion.
Last edited:
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
I'm a firm believer in the "sniff test" camp. In many cases items that are no longer sellable are definitely useable. If you buy produce, then it hides itself in the back of the produce drawer, do you throw it out automatically because you bought it "last week"? Probably not. At least I don't.
Common sense has been thrown out along with the can someone tossed today because it said "best if used by 10/31/13" on the lid. If you're careful and wise you can use post-dated food with no problems.
To make this point the Food Channel had a special called The Big Waste where chefs had to use foods that were on their way to the dumpster for their meal creations.
There is a good article at the blog "East Drink Better" that explains the show nicely. Unfortunately, when I posted the actual link it takes you not to the blog but directly to the above Food Channel article. Had to post the article with this end-around so you could access it if you wanted to read IT.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&ved=0CEsQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Featdrinkbetter.com%2F2012%2F01%2F09%2Fthe-big-waste-food-network-looks-at-food-waste-in-america%2F&ei=RdtMUthizoDKAbfCgdgF&usg=AFQjCNEtpMSqZmc52zGGCRsc3HrnRQ_DxA&sig2=CiKZaza711Y-Gkp5gv-MQQ
Common sense has been thrown out along with the can someone tossed today because it said "best if used by 10/31/13" on the lid. If you're careful and wise you can use post-dated food with no problems.
To make this point the Food Channel had a special called The Big Waste where chefs had to use foods that were on their way to the dumpster for their meal creations.
There is a good article at the blog "East Drink Better" that explains the show nicely. Unfortunately, when I posted the actual link it takes you not to the blog but directly to the above Food Channel article. Had to post the article with this end-around so you could access it if you wanted to read IT.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&ved=0CEsQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Featdrinkbetter.com%2F2012%2F01%2F09%2Fthe-big-waste-food-network-looks-at-food-waste-in-america%2F&ei=RdtMUthizoDKAbfCgdgF&usg=AFQjCNEtpMSqZmc52zGGCRsc3HrnRQ_DxA&sig2=CiKZaza711Y-Gkp5gv-MQQ
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
I have no problem using expired products from my pantry or freezer, so I would have no problem buying from a store like this if I needed to. It's better than wasting perfectly good food.
It reminds me of one of my neighbors who, after we lost power for several days following a hurricane, cleaned out her fridge and threw away everything, including pickles, jams and jellies. No sense at all.
It reminds me of one of my neighbors who, after we lost power for several days following a hurricane, cleaned out her fridge and threw away everything, including pickles, jams and jellies. No sense at all.
bakechef
Executive Chef
I see this as a positive step.
Having worked in grocery stores a good part of my working life, many would be appalled by how much food is thrown away. Our deli alone pulls $150-200 (retail) of out of date product daily and we are a relatively small store! Luckily we finally have people who come and get a majority of it, for the first 5 years that I worked there, it went in the trash. This doesn't include the rest of the store. I know that this food won't make it to a store like this, it will likely be warehouse overstocks or stuff pulled from shelves by vendors, but it's a GOOD THING.
I have no issues using past the sell by date as long as it isn't too far past, and the container is in good shape and not bulging. Stuff in my fridge stays past the date when unopened no problem, because my fridge is very cold (sometimes too cold).
Having worked in grocery stores a good part of my working life, many would be appalled by how much food is thrown away. Our deli alone pulls $150-200 (retail) of out of date product daily and we are a relatively small store! Luckily we finally have people who come and get a majority of it, for the first 5 years that I worked there, it went in the trash. This doesn't include the rest of the store. I know that this food won't make it to a store like this, it will likely be warehouse overstocks or stuff pulled from shelves by vendors, but it's a GOOD THING.
I have no issues using past the sell by date as long as it isn't too far past, and the container is in good shape and not bulging. Stuff in my fridge stays past the date when unopened no problem, because my fridge is very cold (sometimes too cold).
Aunt Bea
Master Chef
I agree that this is much better than wasting food.
It may however actually hurt the poor.
As an example the Wegman's chain, in my area, has a program called "Waste Not Want Not" that allows local food pantries and soup kitchens to pick up things like, day-old bread, not-quite-perfect produce or dairy products that are close to the expiration date. In 2012, 16 million pounds of food was consumed by people in need rather than going to a landfill. In the future it could end up in a store to be sold.
I always have trouble figuring these things out!
It may however actually hurt the poor.
As an example the Wegman's chain, in my area, has a program called "Waste Not Want Not" that allows local food pantries and soup kitchens to pick up things like, day-old bread, not-quite-perfect produce or dairy products that are close to the expiration date. In 2012, 16 million pounds of food was consumed by people in need rather than going to a landfill. In the future it could end up in a store to be sold.
I always have trouble figuring these things out!
bakechef
Executive Chef
I bet that you don't see a lot of "fresh" product in this store. Likely stuff that was overstocked or removed from shelves by vendors like the chip companies, keebler,Nabisco etc (these are delivered, stocked and managed by these companies). The fresh product and store brand stuff that is donated will likely to continue. I can't imagine grocery stores selling out of date fresh product for resale, and I couldn't imagine a company buying it after it had been handled so much. There would be too much labor involved on the part of the grocery store to make this worth while.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
I agree. There would be liability attached is anything sold were a food safety risk.
They aren't going to sell expired milk or meat.
Caslon
Executive Chef
Maybe we should all share what products past their exp date taste noticeably bad. Those nutritious shakes like Ensure taste just awful at their exp date, the vitamin and supplements start to overwhelm the milkshake flavor, yuck. Canned foods do ok if what's inside the can is flavorful to begin with, such as canned chili. However, canned foods containing simple tasting foods (not packed with flavor) will start tasting like the can soon after the exp. date. Some foods like cereal that are packaged in plastic will soon start absorbing the smell of plastic packaging after the exp date.
Last edited:
Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2011
- Messages
- 25,033
I find that half and half will start to curdle the minute it hits its expiration date.
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
You can always use sour dairy items for baking. Sour milk isn't a health risk, just lousy tasting. But in a coffee cake or scones? You can't tell the milk was sour. We've never not liked something I've baked with spoiled milk. After all, when I was a kid if we didn't have my Nana would add a bit of vinegar or lemon juice to MAKE it sour! Haven't tried it for things like pancakes or waffles though.
Just search for "sour milk recipes" for lots of options.
Just search for "sour milk recipes" for lots of options.
When I was young, there was always a jar of clabber in the icebox. Clabber and lard makes the best biscuits in the world. 'Course, these days milk don't go bad the same way as it did in the 50's and early 60's. I ain't quite sure what the difference is but it just ain't the same.
Actually, on further thought, "go bad" is not what I should have said. "Turn" would be a better term.
Mad Cook
Master Chef
Yes. Peoria, Illinois, 1983 - 28 cases traced to ingredient used in sandwiches, to name but one.
Anything you put in a sandwich can poison you if you don't show due care and attention when preparing said sandwich
I have noticed that too. Milk doesn't get sour; it goes bad.
When I make sour milk for making quark, I have to inoculate it with sour cream or left over clabbered milk from the last batch.
I think they pasteurize it to a higher temperature that kills off all the nice micro-organisms.
Mad Cook
Master Chef
It's because milk nowadays is almost all pasteurised, sterilised or UHT, whereas back then there was more "raw" milk available. (An old lady of my childhood acquaintance always referred to pasteurised milk as "boiled germs"
)I use unflavoured and unsweetened yoghourt in scones and similar things, where you would probably use buttermilk. I make my own yoghourt so always have it on hand. I don't think I'd risk using sour/bad milk these days
Oh, it's too vile to consider, even if there were no risk.
Similar threads
