Marks and Spencer food use by dates…

[CurlewKate]

I’ve been doing a neighbour’s shopping for the last couple of weeks at M&S and I’ve noticed that the ready meals seem to have very short “use before” dates-sometimes only 1 or even 2
days. I’m sure Morrisons are usually at least 4 days? Is that usual for M&S or is it just this particular one?

Awful with mine as well.
Christmas time most were Christmas or Boxing Day dates.

couldn’t do a full weeks shop in mine for this reason.

Really bad dates on ready meals, puts me off buying.

Same at Waitrose. Most of their fresh goods such as fruit, veg, bagged leaves, meat and fish are same day or next day dated.

My local one is really bad for this as well, and it's not just the ready meals it is meat too. I want to buy food for at least 4-5 days at a time, not 2

Really bad for short use by dates like others couldn't shop there for a week's shopping.

Yes, have stopped Ocado for this reason as I’d end up with a pile of food having to be eaten working a day or two of delivery. I alternate between Sainsbury’s and Waitrose now.

I've noticed this too. I think they are just very 'tight' with their use by/sell by dates,if you see what I mean. To be honest,I've used food that from them that is a day or two past the use by date with no ill effects. Obviously I'm careful with things like fish or chicken,but most things are fine.

I think post the cyber attack they’ve had issues with the supply chain. I was reading something online about how much food they’ve had to throw away because of it.

also their ready meals tend to have less crap in them than others so do have shorter dates

I think it is a marketing ploy so it looks like M&S food is. Fresher than other ready meals.

I mean i wouldn't eat it past the sell.by

Could you freeze it on day of purchase?

I just freeze it, as I'm never sure what I want to eat and cooks fine from frozen. Ocado tell you when ordering how many days forward items are fresh for, so you know before buying.

Maybe the person I’m shopping for does that? I don’t know!

I’m a bit at a loss on this one. Waitrose stopped having any dates in their fresh fruit and veg a while back. I’m sure they have some way to know which is ‘older’ for their own stock control purposes.

there is no consumer readable date.

im strongly in favour of this. I can tell when fruit and veg are no longer safe or even pleasant to consume by smell and look.

DH would insist on throwing out perfectly good veg just because they were past their date. Such waste.

Waitrose stopped having any dates in their fresh fruit and veg a while back. I’m sure they have some way to know which is ‘older’ for their own stock control purposes.

Apologies if Waitrose is different, but when M&S first stopped putting the dates on, they were still easy to work out from the packaging code. They still may, but I don’t shop there now.

Here’s a picture on my Sainsbury’s Easy peelers. The packaging code J2806S means 28 06, or 28th June.

If you buy any packaged fruit or veg from Waitrose, they have bb or use-by dates. Loose produce doesn’t. My spinach bought on Saturday has today’s date on it.