do you check the food labels and its expiration before buying it?

@rhane7315 (5649)
Philippines
April 15, 2008 10:24am CST
when you buy foods in the grocery, do you check their food labels and expiration date? or do you just grab this and that to your basket and never check them at all? since my mom eat an expired food and she almost die bec. of food poisoning, it became a lesson to us so from then on, we always check the food labels and its expiration before buying it.
4 people like this
32 responses
@naseefu (1607)
• India
29 Apr 08
We must have check the expiration date before buying or eating.Unless it will affect our health very much,as you said about your mother.In old food there will be bactirias,fungas and ...Thanks
1 person likes this
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
29 Apr 08
yeah you're right, so we should be very careful about checking the expiration of the food
@goergineo (1498)
• Jordan
16 Apr 08
my friend has been in a similar situation. since when I do. but I think it the responsibly of the grocery to do that.
1 person likes this
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
yeah it is. but what it bothers me is that they don't care if the customers get some of the products that are already expired as long as they sell their products
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
15 Apr 08
After buying a few things with expired dates I've learned to check. A couple of times I've gotten things and they were only one or two days from expiration but by the time I use them they are way bad so I try to watch. Of course I've had some things go bad and they weren't close to expiration so those I will take back to the store. I've had milk to that and also believe it or not fajitas. They actually had mold on them and it said they were good for at least another month. That irritated me. So just shows you have to be careful when ever you go to eat something.
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
lol they're stupid if they really told you that. you should have suggested that they should try to drink it if it was still good especially with a mold in it
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
17 Apr 08
I should have been clearer on that. The expiration date on the fajitas said they had another month but they already had mold on them. I've also had milk have an expiration date and have it go bad before it. That was what I meant. You just have to be careful.
@howard96h (11640)
• New York, New York
15 Apr 08
I always check the dates on everything, you would be amazed how many products in my supermarket are outdated and on the shelves for sale. No matter how much I complain to the manager they still sell them. One day they were selling a package of hot dogs and it was outdated by 2 months, you could even see the color was not right, when I took it over to the manager he looked at it and said "oh the date means it is still good for 2 months later." What an idiot, an expiration date means when it EXPIRES! I reported him to the Department of Health.
@howard96h (11640)
• New York, New York
15 Apr 08
I have now noticed that some of the hot dogs packages have the date conveniently erased. Those I know are old, he just takes the dates off the old stuff. I know he got fined, I guess it's time to make another call. I know I should go somewhere else but it's the only supermarket in walking distance and I have no car to get to the other places. I know what the problem is, his stock boys do not rotate the shelves, I have seen them put all the new stuff right in the front rather than move the older stuff forward and put the new products in the back. I've told him but I guess he doesn't care, maybe if he gets fined enough he will change his practice. Another sad thing I have noticed that here in the US if a product says "Expiration Date 02/03/08" we know it means February 03, 2008 but there are many foreigners in my neighborhood and in their countries they would write 03/02/08 for February 3rd. so I can see how they might buy an outdated product thinking it's good until the 2nd of March.
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
yeah i also find it very confusing about those dates sometimes
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
15 Apr 08
what happens after you reported it? lol how did he become a manager if he doesn't know what expire means lol
@michelyn (717)
• United States
16 Apr 08
I definitely check the expiration date on certain items, but don't always check it on other things. I do check food labels a lot, but when you are trying to eat healthier, that's just what you have to do. I have always checked the expiration on milk and eggs and now I check it on 12 packs of soda. Expired Diet Pepsi is horrible. I also check the expiration dates on bread. I've gotten some really nasty bread by not paying attention better. I should probably start checking more items though.
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
yeah and it's a good way to avoid your life in danger
@s2a2n2 (1732)
• India
15 Apr 08
Thats a good reminder for me. I used to check previously for every food item i used to buy. but of late i quite did not check and not bothered. this is because of in hurry i suppose. anyway i do need to check on from now..
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
15 Apr 08
i'm glad my information was useful to you
@s2a2n2 (1732)
• India
15 Apr 08
yeah pretty much. thanks for the post
@mbs730 (2147)
• Canada
16 Apr 08
Yes I always do. I have kids as well and wouldn't want them to get sick due to food that went bad!
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
yeah, it's less prone to food poisoning if we're always aware
16 Apr 08
These days I check all the labels on cans and packets. With more and more processed and pre-packaged foods available so the danger is more apparent. I check everything in my fridge and cupboard too, regularly, to make sure that anything past its date is thrown out
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
yeah it's better to be picky and be aware these days
@skyblue (1299)
• India
16 Apr 08
It was very often when i check food expiration date.Because in the morning i am too busy for my work.But it should check.Thanks you RHANE for starting this topic.
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
you're very welcome
@shorty08322 (1270)
• United States
16 Apr 08
no i dnt ijust buy it but when i get him i do and it be to late
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
aw too bad, anyway at least you should be aware from now on
@herrygs (133)
• Indonesia
16 Apr 08
yes, sometimes I did it, but for some product that I always buy in a frequent time, I've never check the expire date.
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
i'm also like you sometimes
@elflying (55)
• China
16 Apr 08
That is horrible!I always trust the grocery,believe they wouldn't put expired food on the shelves because of credit-standing thing. Thank you for warning us
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
you're very welcome
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
yes i do check for expiration dates on food labels. this is a very good habit since you are sure that the food will be good for consumption. i'm especially picky with the bread and canned goods. for bread, i only get something that has an expiration date a week from the day i'm buying it. for canned goods, expiration date is usually a year or two. i'm more picky with the expiration dates of medicines as this is something that has been overlooked before in our family.
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
i salute you for that
@gcrew931 (228)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
I'm very O.C. when it comes to food labels. The first thing i do when I grab a product check the nutrition fact. After that, I examine the ingredients used. I have a list of ingredients that I say no to. If a product contains one of these products then I won't buy it. I also check the expiration date because it the most basic thing that one should do. One only have one short life to live so why not take care of our bodies well. I think it's ok to become O.C. when you check labels on the food. No food is worth dying for!
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
you're right! and it's good that you have that habit
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
15 Apr 08
I always check food labels. I never want to be caught off guard by bad food. I have however bought food well within the expiration date to find it expired.
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
it also happened on me lol i was in a hurry and bought a bread and didn't notice that its expiration will be 2 days after
• United States
15 Apr 08
After working in a grocery store for 2 years, I always check the labels and experation dates. I don't know how many times I'd be straightening the shelves and run across a couple of cans or bottles that were out of date. I've gotten to the point where I check dates on everything, no matter if it's non-parishable or not. Many dates on these are "buy before" dates, meaning that they still have some shelf life left in them, but not a lot. I don't care. If the date has passed, I don't buy.
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
and that's a good thing that we should be aware of expiration dates
@bcote212 (1112)
• United States
15 Apr 08
I always check the expire dates, because I am freaked out about especially when it comes to things like milk. And when i notice that the price of something has dropped dramatically I assume it is because it is old and I will not buy it.
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
definitely a wise decision
• Singapore
16 Apr 08
Yes I always look at the labels and expiration dates. I don't wanna risk of getting food poison or a even just a bad stomach.
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
yeah it's better to be safe than sorry at all
@teka44 (3420)
• Brazil
15 Apr 08
Hi rhane. I ever check both. Food can be dangerous if you don't check well.
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
elo teka. you're right and prevention is better than cure
@gloamglozer (1289)
• Australia
15 Apr 08
i usually check the labels... i was the only one at camp to point out that we were given expired corn flakes.
@rhane7315 (5649)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
lol nice one. they should have given you a merit for that