Surplus Groceries
With the downturn of the economy, even prices of the most basic items like food are rapidly rising. One grocery store in Pennsylvania is giving customers the most bang for their buck and selling their food products at significantly lower prices, but there's a catch. It sells food that is past its "best by" or "sell by" date. The grocery says the food is perfectly safe and it can save customers a fortune.
Ref. ABCNews Nightline
I buy a lot of bread that is day old. It is a lot cheaper and I take it home and freeze it. I have had no trouble with it and we use it daily. The fact that I like to find ways to save some money on the food bill helps too. I get meat at a discount by buying it in bulk. I am not sure I would buy expired meat.
Expired food? There is no way anyone is going to convince me to save money by purchasing food that is expired. I still would not change my mind if they were giving away the item for free!
There is a reason why all grocery items have an expiry date. To put it simply, this date serves to warn a consumer that you are putting your health at risk, if you consume this product after the expiry date. There are products that are made with certain ingredients and these ingredients will eventually become stale or spoil by a specific time. By purchasing an expired item, you are opening yourself to a lot of health risks. Suppose you develop salmonella poisoning? Food poisoning is not an enjoyable experience and I can vouch for that. And what about your children? Are you prepared to risk your own child's health for the sake of saving a few dollars? No one wants to have their own flesh and blood hospitalized for food poisoning or let alone, DIE from expired food!
So the next time you are considering purchasing an expired item that is on sale, ask yourself this question:
Which is more cost effective: purchasing an expired food item on sale with the risk of being hospitalized for food poisoning or buying a wholesome item that you can safely incorporate into a home cooked meal and enjoy with your own family?
Speaking of which, I actually had a great meal last night with some expired food. Swung by the market and there was a rack of ribs that was 2hrs past the expired time on sale for 50% off. Marinated the meat for 1 hour in the frigerator with some Jamaican spices then cooked it.