Bad luck with food products

[luminousloops]

This is happening a lot. And I mean a lot.
It never used to happen, well not often anyway, but this is a noticeable issue for me recently.

In the past 6 months I have purchased several jars of decent peanut butter that either had a loose top (but with unbroken seal, so it leaked in my bag), or it has been tasteless and off. All purchased at different stores so no connection to the supermarkets.
Online orders of fresh meat have arrived slightly open.
Other meat coming open once at home after unpacking.
A fresh Finest pizza from Tesco was pockmarked with tiny holes after removing from cardboard pack, had to return that, too. A few weeks later the same pizza slid out of the box, caved in, soaked in the centre and inedible. Bunged it in the oven anyway but it just fell apart in my hand later, WTF?
Caps on cordial, water and other drinks welded to the seal so need tools to get off or have leaked in transit as already broken.

It just goes on. I have managed to get refunds for most but am just fed up of it now. Another large shopping trip today and three more items need returning. I absolutely DO check in store if things are as they should be, but with many you can't tell until opening. And yes I have definitely wondered if I am going mad, or have been blessed by the shit fairy!

I just feel like buying a bag of fucking rice and beans and growing my own mushrooms or something, lol.
I'm not anxious about foods or overly concerned about safety but this is starting to yank my chain. Most of this is from a mix of Ocado, Tesco, M&S and Co Op, so a fair mix.
I just want to know if this is happening to anyone else or if I've just had a long string of incredibly bad luck.

I get a home delivery, and I can’t remember how many times it’s arrived with the milk packed lying down in the crate, and it’s leaked all over the place. Yet they continue to pack it that way, and just refund.
I prefer home delivery now as I can get a quick refund, whereas I won’t be bothered to actually go back to the shop and get a refund.

Can’t comment on the rest but bottle caps are supposed to be tethered to the bottle nowadays - it’s a change they’ve introduced to encourage recycling all of the packaging

Same here, I had three incidences recently.

A pack of cous cous was torn, I didn’t notice until I got home and it was all over the bottom of the bag.
Took it back and the person at customer services said “well didn’t you notice when you picked it up?”
Baffled as to why she thought someone would deliberately inconvenience themselves like that!

This is worse with scan & bag. Previously you had the opportunity to identify this kind of issue at the checkout.

True, returns to online orders are more simple.
I am a bit fed up lately as it's happened almost every shop, no matter where from. The peanut butter thing is hard to prove unless i force someone to taste it, and it's awful.

It is mostly packaging. The bottle tops are definitely attached to the metal bit, if you know what I mean, but often the whole receptacle is loose so leaks. As if the grooves of the cap and bottle didn't align.

Sealed down fresh meat products are another nightmare. Often the flap part that you peel back wasn't properly stuck down, and you only find this once opening, later. I prod and check before buying but have still been surprised - a small slit in the packaging of bacon that was not visible until opening, etc.

Funnily enough if I think about it, this is happening more with higher priced items. Could just be a coincidence.

Ha, and a pack of Crosta & Molica crostini's arrived fully open, as if the bag had not even been sealed at the factory.

I find the corners of the plastic meat trays get dented and in many cases crack so you get meat leakage on your shopping and also they don't last till the use by date. I try to freeze all meat on day of purchase now.

I think some of it may be to do with supermarkets changing packaging to be more sustainable. I think some of the plastic trays used for meat seem to be very brittle recently and split very easily.

Yes to the tops on bottles of squash being welded shut! Impossible to open.

The most recent issue I've had are Sainsbury's new packaging - just fish at the moment I think. Some sort of recycled card for the base, lined with very thin plastic which it attached to a vacuum pack type plastic top. You're supposed to peel the top open, but it is impossible to separate from the base liner which just peels away from the card base. I have had to stab it with a knife 3 times now.

They have to be lying down as they’re too tall to fit in the stacking crates . Really need a better plan for this don’t they!

I once received a fully leaked bag full of cordial at the door, it had covered most of the other products in the bag. Whilst I got my refund for the entire bag load, I didn't get it for 2 weeks, and was short of what I needed in the immediate interim, so it's still a royal pain in the arse if you claim a refund. It completely ruined a planned dinner for us a few weeks back thanks to a leaking peanut butter jar - the runny stuff.

I don't think it is the driver's fault, I have wondered if there is a general drop in quality checking prior to leaving warehouses.

I've never heard of runny peanut butter - what's the brand? I find peanut butter can get too stiff to use, so this sounds great!

It is the 100% smooth peanut version by Pip n Nut.
Can also get them via M&S and Tesco do a very decent one. I do prefer them to the more 'set' thicker butters and the don't contain any other ingredients.

Thank you! When my current jar is finished, I'll be trying it.

Yanbu!! Fruits also really gone down hill. More often than not berries are mouldy on the day of purchase! How they're supposedly going to last until the 'best before' is beyond me.
Half tempted to start opening my packages as soon as I've paid before leaving the shop rather than making another trip to exchange/get a refund

I wonder if part of the issue is as someone said, things not getting a second glance at the checkout. Every so often you realise that you have picked a dud and swap. But if the picker or the shopper are scanning straight into bags it removes that second check.

I've not noticed anything personally though.

The M&S one is exactly the same but costs a bit less, just so you know.

If only!
I have, since the first issue, inspected packaging closely in person.
Some parts don't reveal the issues. I've run my hand over the plastic wrap of the tesco pizza to test for pesto/oil leakage. I still found myself with a soggy, messed up base, as if the dough had collapsed before packing.

My leaking peanut butter had an unbroken seal and looked perfect. It leaked on the way home as the lid had not been fixed properly before shipping, probably. It's a tricky one, and I'm a bit fed up.
You also can't test a bottle top or break it from the metal seal to test in store whether you'll need a hacksaw to separate it at home

DH bought me a plastic thingummybob that helps to get stiff tops and lids off. Oddly, until a few yrs ago, I never needed one, and I am quite a bit stronger now due to fitness and yoga.