Do you work in Tesco? AIBU to ask you a question?

[Churrolicious]

(Just one, it’s not an AMA request, honest ;))

So I know fruit and veg lasts long beyond its sell by date if stored correctly and I happily used to use my judgement in these situations. But Tesco’s new wheeze (and it feels like a wheeze TBH) of removing sell by dates on their cheapest range of fruit and veg is driving me nuts. Last Saturday I bought carrots and celery and neither were fit for anything by mid week. Today’s celery looks similarly lacklustre already but no way to tell how long it’s already been out - so surprise surprise if I want a sell by date on my celery so I can tell how long it’s been on the shelf is 25p more than what I was buying previously.

So, AIBU:

a) to see this whole strategy as a cynical ploy to sell fruit and veg running to the end of its shelf life when consumers given a choice would pick something that would stay fresh for longer?

b) to ask anyone who works in the fruit and veg section at Tesco what the numbers on these label mean? One of them must be an indication of date / when it was picked / something for internal purposes that give a hint to whether I’m buying decrepit veg. What does the 185 mean?

[I know IABU buying celery but it’s summer and I’m on a diet.]

Not a Tesco worker but a tip..... If you wrap celery in tin foil and store it in the fridge it'll last for weeks.

What’s a ‘wheeze’ in this context?

I’ve been having a similar issue with carrots from Tesco. They used to last ages but are going mushy within days. Not sure if it’s the weather, freshness or the way I am storing them!

Do you never buy loose fruit and vegetables? It doesn’t have a sell by date, you just have to use your common sense. Though I suppose you can’t touch and smell this pre-packaged stuff, is that the issue?

LyndseyKoala a wheeze is another word for a scam.

I've noticed this.
I order online twice a week for work and the kiwi fruit that was previously too hard to serve for a good few days is now arriving over ripe.
Poor show Tesco if you ask me.

Is the 185 the same kind of thing the army use for dates on food. So it's the day of the year it's packed or goes off. Because the 185th day is July 4th I think?

Ah thanks Jessie. Never heard that before!

Do you never buy loose fruit and vegetables? It doesn’t have a sell by date, you just have to use your common sense. Though I suppose you can’t touch and smell this pre-packaged stuff, is that the issue?

My local Tesco don't seem to sell much in the way of loose fruit and veg, certainly not thing like tomatoes, and it's hard to get a feel for how firm, or otherwise, something is when it's pre-packaged.

Not a Tesco worker but food manager in another life. The numbers relate to the grower / production cycle or similar. They're not dates or anything cryptic!

Jessie The thing is the Redmere Farm / whatever other made up name produce is the stuff is cheaper than loose, even assuming loose is available, which in my local Tesco isn't true of all types of fruit/veg. This new policy means there's now no indication of how long things last - it used to be I could get a kilo of carrots to last a week and a half if not two. Two consecutive weeks they've been wet and slimy within four days (although Squadron could be right and maybe it's weather related).

As an example I noticed this morning:
Redmere carrots - 44p a kilo
Loose carrots - 60p a kilo
Standard Tesco carrots (in a 1.5kg bag but with a sell by date on it) - 53p a kilo

This sudden policy of 'pay 20-30p an item more if you want the mid-range version with a date on it' seems to be across most of the section and it really irks me. There's so much lip service paid to getting families eating their five (+) a day and this is actively making it more expensive to do that - whether you buy the stuff going off sooner that Tesco would otherwise have struggled to sell or pay more money for the stuff with dates on it, either way Tesco are benefiting to the detriment of the consumer.

I know I'm overthinking it, and I know it's just a bag of slimy carrots but it really irks me!

I get that they want the food waste to be reduced. What I am wondering is how the stores are managing how long the carrots and other fruit/veg will be out on the shelf for? Are they going by look too and will only take them off sale when they start to go manky?

I think they should have a 'packaged on' date instead, it stops the guess work from the customer but also will stop people throwing them away unnecessarily as they still need to use their common sense.

I see the issue. Why don’t you email Tesco customer services pointing it out and ask them for more information? I have found them quite responsive in the past. Though best to word it as a “I’ve noticed this and am curious” rather than a rants attack, in the first contact at least.

Totally agree, I was very annoyed with the veg I bought last week. Totally unusable 3 days later. I was not impressed!
It made me think though, that veg I bought from a different Tesco to the one I usually use, never had an issue before, so wondered if the rubbish veg store over order the veg and so it's sitting in the back longer before being put on shelf? Possible stock management issue? Was just something I wondered because as I said, not a problem I've had at my usual store.

Any way you can get a veg box instead of Tesco? I know not affordable for everyone - ours is £16 and feeds us all week with stuff picked that morning or day before

it's just a bag of slimy carrots

You need to make sure they aren’t sealed in the bag. They only go slimy if they’re damp all the time.

Were luck enough to have a green grocers so get loose stuff there,always fresh due to turnover.
Have stopped buying veg in Tesco as our always runs out if veg.Yesterday they had no cucumbers or potatoes.They are putting potted herbs near their sell buy date in the reduced bit though so I have some very healthy basil plants in the garden!

I don't know if it's am option near you but round here there are stalls that sell vegetables in bowls for £1. Generally it's stuff that's towards its sell by date but good quality and actually ripe. Because it's on my way home I don't mind buying a day or two's produce at a time rather than expecting it to last. Less plastic waste too as I just tip the bowls into my reusable bag. Is that an option or just a London thing?

I buy a lot of cheap carrots for my horses. I find the best way is to store them in a bucket of cold water after opening. They then stay lovely and crisp and fresh.

Celery (not for the horses lol) will often perk up if you stand it upright in a jar of water. I like celery but can't get through it fast enough, this seems to help it survive a lot longer.

Yes, I see what you mean. A “packed on” date would help, wouldn’t it?

But I suppose we’re all going to have to get better at groping our fruit and veg like our grans knew how to do

Ps yes to emptying any plastic bags as soon as you get home. I keep all my veg in the fridge, even root veg that my mum would keep in a cupboard. More to do with space than anything but it might help longevity

Get rid of all plastic packaging and just have them in the fridge. The plastic makes food sweat.
How old is your fridge? We just got a new one and our veg lasts noticeably longer.

I get a veg box from Riverford and most of it (except salad leaves) arrives either unpackaged, or in paper, and lasts really well. (Costs about 12 quid and lasts the week, and I don't have to go to the shops or carry anything so consider it money well-spent.)

I wrap my carrots in foil and put them in the fridge, after drying them completely. They still go mouldy but not slimy.

I also find Lidl stuff goes off quickly.
I try not to shop in Tesco, their reduced stuff was never really reduced by more than about 10p and was always rotting so no-one bought it which is why I think they have done this rather than actually reduce it.They are conning people into buying the out of date produce.

I've recently started buying all fruit and veg in farm shops due to similar issues with Morrisons. I know it's likely to go off quicker as it hasn't been blasted with preservatives but at least I can hand pick the freshest items.