Tesco use-by dates

[Ladymere]

I bought some refrigerated hot and spicy chicken wings in Tesco on Monday 19th May 2025. A nice big tub that I thought would last me 2 or 3 days as I live alone. Anyway, I go to cook some today, glanced at the use-by date as I got them out of the fridge, only to find that they ran out on the day I bought them.

I was fuming, what a waste of £4. I decided I was taking them back to Tesco where the customer services assistant informed me that it was my responsibility to check the date on any food I bought and I was not entitled to a refund. What the hell! When I got home I rang Tesco head office and they said the same thing.

I called into Sainsbury's on the way home and bought a similar product with a far more reasonable use-by date of 29th May 2025.

The only way it would be their fault is if this came on an online order - I’ve had refunds when this has happened. If you picked it yourself you should have noticed but it’s easily done

How is it their fault that you didn't read the label? Or is it that you are such a fan of food waste that you want them to throw away perfectly edible food days before it goes off just in case you buy it?

If you bought them in store why didn't you check the date? Tesco haven't done anything wrong as the item was still in date when you bought it.
If online then it is different.

Breaking news - supermarkets don’t throw away food prior to the use by date. Check it before you buy.

Don't go tesco.

When you do an online order, Tesco are pretty good at letting you know if an item is short dated, IME. But yeah, if you're shopping in store, it's really down to you to check the dates.

I can’t believe you are trying to blame Tesco for the fact you didn’t check the date.

I have forgotten to check use by dates myself op. Okay you shouldn't have taken the food back to tesco but it is easily done.

It's true that they don't yellow sticker until that actual day of expiry, and quite late in the day too. I do feel that's a bit cheeky for things that I'd not eat straight away - basically groceries as opposed to sandwiches.

But it's always been that way. Also I'd definitely eat the chicken anyway.

I can't believe you took them back to the shop 😂

This has got to be a wind up.

Supermarkets often sell items with a use by date of that same day - it would be extremely wasteful if they stopped selling items and threw them out before they needed to! Always check the date before you buy.

Definitely your responsibility. As long as they don’t sell them to you after the use by date, they’ve done nothing wrong.

I was fuming, what a waste of £4. I decided I was taking them back to Tesco where the customer services assistant informed me that it was my responsibility to check the date on any food I bought and I was not entitled to a refund. What the hell! When I got home I rang Tesco head office and they said the same thing.

😂

I’m with you tbh it really irritates me when I accidentally buy short dated bits. I think if it’s going off that day it should be reduced. I was in Aldi today and bought chicken, short dated for today but 30% off which seems fair.

Whenever I buy stuff that’s short dated I always spend the next few weeks rummaging to the back to get the longest dates, shoppers revenge!

Surely you’re joking?

You called Tesco head office to complain that you hadn’t read the date on a product you bought that was still in date when you made the purchase?

Christ, be pissed off at yourself for not reading the date properly because the buck stops with you on this one

Don’t you read the dates?

Also, if they needed to be cooked, 36 hours later I absolutely would have eaten them.