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Original poster

Have any Lidl shoppers noticed this?

27 replies

Shinygoldbauble · 02/07/2020 13:36

Lots of products are 'eat within 2/3 days of opening? It's really starting to annoy me.
We do most of our shopping there. I think it is more noticeable since we were in lockdown and having everyone home all the time meant I was buying more sandwich and snack type food.
I have noticed it recently on several things. I love their tub of Greek yoghurt. It's 500g. It's really rich and creamy so I don't eat a huge amount at a time. I rarely finish it within 3 days.
They have a nice tub of aioli. I'm the only one in the house that likes it. I could never eat it in 2 days. Rashers, sausages, sliced ham, sliced cheese are all 2 days.
Worse still I bought a huge jar of pickled cucumber slices (delicious) - eat within 3 days! Surely pickling is a method of preserving food.
I do use my judgement on whether things are safe to eat but it in a way spoils the enjoyment for me.
I realise they are just covering themselves but it doesn't really inspire confidence in the quality.
Are all supermarkets similar?

OP posts:
KingOfDogShite · 02/07/2020 13:37

We get the yoghurt too and have never eaten it all within 3 days. I haven’t died yet. You can taste or smell if things are off, it’s just them covering their arse I think.

Original poster
Shinygoldbauble · 02/07/2020 13:44

I don't routinely bin everything after the 2/3 days. I try to use judgement but if the manufacturer won't stand over it after 2 days it sows seeds of doubt in my mind. We've never been ill from food yet though.
If the yoghurt has been hanging around too long I tend to use it in baking so it doesn't go to waste.

OP posts:
Juo · 02/07/2020 13:59

I don't think it's peculiar to lidl. I don't take much notice, lots of things take me longer to use up than 3 days.
If it went much past the use by date and had been open more than a few days I might give it a careful sniff.

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General food
Bioprepper · 02/07/2020 13:59

it a legal requirement for some foods in the EU to state do not eat 3 days after opening and i think dairy is one of them. Its not exclusive to Lidl. Its a safety issue. However i have eaten foods after 3 days and im still alive so i wouldn't worry

ginghamtablecloths · 02/07/2020 14:03

I get those same enormous tubs of Lidl yogurt and they last a bit longer than three days OP and it seems all right. I'm sure it's the same with other shops. They're covering themselves.

Pinkflipflop85 · 02/07/2020 14:03

It isnt exclusive to lidl. That has been the case on all of those foods regardless of where I've bought them from.

WhistlersandJugglers · 02/07/2020 14:03

I buy the big tubs of yoghurt in Lidl and they would be fine 4 or 5 days after opening. Same for hummus. I wouldn't even look at the instructions on a jar of pickles-they're preserved in vinegar. They should be fine in the fridge for weeks.

Mmmmycorona · 02/07/2020 14:06

Lots of food items are eat within a few days. I eat over the days stated and never had an issue.

FaceOfASpink · 02/07/2020 14:10

Just arse covering.
Do have a close look at hummus though. If it looks as if it's gone a bit strange and gappy I wouldn't eat it.

gandalf456 · 02/07/2020 14:12

They all do that. With some things, I will try to stick to it but , with cheese, I have it open for weeks and it is fine

NannyR · 02/07/2020 14:12

Greek yogurt can last for weeks once opened, I often use it past its sell by date too. Trust your judgement - if it's not mouldy and doesn't have a weird smell it will be ok to use.

gandalf456 · 02/07/2020 14:13

Sometimes my Greek yoghurt goes a bit runny. Is it time to throw it out then?

Somanysocks · 02/07/2020 14:14

Well I noticed today that my perfectly ok bottle of milk said use by 23rd June.

Original poster
Shinygoldbauble · 02/07/2020 14:15

I think maybe i just notice more than usual because i have a child with food allergies so i'm in the habit of reading labels. Once i've read the ingredients I usually have a quick look at the other stuff.

OP posts:
Blue5238 · 02/07/2020 14:15

Yoghurt that is off tastes sharp and slightly fizzy. Even then it won't do you any harm. It keeps over a week open without any problem

dooratheexplorer · 02/07/2020 14:16

I've never noticed it.

A large pot of yoghurt lasts about five days in this house. We're all still alive.

BarbaraofSeville · 02/07/2020 14:17

People don't take crap like that seriously do they? It's got about as much truth in it as if it said that 'most dogs are blue'. When the statement is clearly ludicrous, you just ignore it, surely.

I've got some yogurt in my fridge that I think expired on 20th June and it's been open about a week and it's absolutely fine and I don't see why it wouldnt' be.

DrinkFeckArseGirls · 02/07/2020 14:18

That’s why I stopped shopping there a while back - with fresh meat, fruit and veg it was particularly noticeable. It’s nowhere near as bad with Sainsburys/ Tesco/ Waitrose.

Original poster
Shinygoldbauble · 02/07/2020 14:24

Food waste is a huge issue. I'm sure there are many people who do take it seriously.
I try to use my judgement but if you aren't confident around food and cooking then it could be a problem.

OP posts:
StuffThem · 02/07/2020 14:27

I definitely ignore the use within 2-3 days instructions on most things in life!

Mamette · 02/07/2020 14:28

I don’t take any notice of this at all, I just go by common sense.

With the Lidl Greek yoghurt though, it is a really big tub and I don’t necessarily want to have it every day, so I get the 4 pack. It’s not good value to get the tub if half of it ends up getting chucked.

alexdgr8 · 02/07/2020 14:45

yes, agree with others.
use your judgment, be careful if you open the item on the use by date.
you can get small individual greek yogs, very nice, in blue/white cardboard wrapper.
children often like to have their own individual item, and with a few nuts, fruits chopped over, can be a way to broaden their taste buds.
blueberries can spell out an initial/ make faces etc. good luck

FaceOfASpink · 02/07/2020 15:15

gandalf no just pour the runny part away. I've done that for years and there's not a problem

Northernsoullover · 02/07/2020 15:34

I wouldn't eat hummus after its use by or use within.. just don't chance that one.

borisjohnsonsstylist · 02/07/2020 15:46

This isn't exclusive to Lidl, this is on everything. Have a look at a packet of cheddar, says the same thing on there!