Expired Food at Grocery Outlet

[Dark Shadows]

I know this is incredibly mundane, but it really upsets me that Grocery Outlet in Rohnert Park sells expired food, especially meat products like Tyson Chicken. I heard somewhere that grocery stores can get into trouble for doing this, yet Grocery Outlet does it unapologetically. When I first saw the Tyson Chicken in the frozen foods section I thought that it was simply a mistake and that management would take care of it. But week after week, I see the same chicken that expired in July of 2007. Where can I report this?

Grocery Outlet is a great place to get deals on weird stuff like organic cheddar from New Zealand at incredible prices. But, if they're selling expired food, it makes me wonder about their other practices. Maybe they are selling stuff that has been out of the refridgerator for a long time or is contaminated in some way. There should be some kind of watch dog agency for this, if only to protect unsuspecting consumers.

[Zeno Swijtink]

I think you can report this at

https://www.sonoma-county.org/health/eh/tip_report.htm

I know this is incredibly mundane, but it really upsets me that Grocery Outlet in Rohnert Park sells expired food, especially meat products like Tyson Chicken. I heard somewhere that grocery stores can get into trouble for doing this, yet Grocery Outlet does it unapologetically. When I first saw the Tyson Chicken in the frozen foods section I thought that it was simply a mistake and that management would take care of it. But week after week, I see the same chicken that expired in July of 2007. Where can I report this?

Grocery Outlet is a great place to get deals on weird stuff like organic cheddar from New Zealand at incredible prices. But, if they're selling expired food, it makes me wonder about their other practices. Maybe they are selling stuff that has been out of the refridgerator for a long time or is contaminated in some way. There should be some kind of watch dog agency for this, if only to protect unsuspecting consumers.

[decterlove]

Just leave em alone and don't eat the Chicken! Shouldn't be eating Tyson Chicken anyway!


Buy their frozen breasts and make some fresh Puttanesca! I'll send ya a recipe if you don't know what it is or look it up on Wikipedia. It's an Italian dish I think or Indian. Don't ever call somebody a Puttanesca though because I think it's an insult unless you're actually in a Kitchen. Or just find a recipe for Old Chicken!


GO is the best..without them and Trader Joes I'd starve straight to Death!



Long live the Go!

[Dark Shadows]

So you don't care that you might be eating contaminated or spoiled food? I know it's a good resource for cheap eats, but come on, this is not a third world country. They have standards that they have to abide by. Why should we throw all caution to the wind when we have agencies whose job it is to make sure we aren't poisoned by the local grocery store? Give them an inch and they'll take a mile. I'm going to report them, I'm sure it won't put them out of business, just make them a little more honest and careful about the food they offer to unsuspecting customers. What if someone couldn't read, or had dyslexia and ended up with food poisoning because of it? Now, wouldn't you feel guilty if you didn't report them?

Just leave em along and don't eat the Chicken! Shouldn't be eating Tyson Chicken anyway!
...

[Deborah]

Hi, I have first hand knowledge about this stuff. I just checked the latest two whole Tyson frozen chickens I purchased from
Grocery Outlet for a date. they are dated FREEZE by 8/07. They are delicious and a great deal. I trust they were frozen y that date.

Grocery Outlet sells legal , sometimes smaller size items such as grade aa eggs,( organic by the way )from Petaluma; sometimes close to code dates. etc. for a great price. If frozen as the case with some of Tyson frozen chicken products, there is a freeze by date, not eat by. I personally buy and love the frozen whole Tyson chickens, preservative free grown in Calif. for $1.99 each. Yes I would love to shop at places like "Whole Paycheck" unfortunately I could not survive financially if I did. I think it is time for the big guys to make healthy food affordable.
Thanks,
Deborah

[decterlove]

My heartiest apologies, Dark Shadows! I think you're right. I was in there today cause your post sparked my curiosity and I started checking some boxes. I think I found a box of Barbara's Lasagna that said 1976! I'm not sure. Coulda been a bar code. Those things are hard to read. But I apologize profusely. You were right and I was wrong.

Wait a minute, is it even possible to apologize profusely? Or am I mixing it up with sweating? I don't sweat much so I don't generally use the term. I'm sorry. I apologize. Again. This time not profusely though. Let's try morosely.

I'm ashamed of myself. If they're selling food from the seventies they have no legs to stand on. Especially chicken legs. They shouldn't even be selling music from the seventies!!!!

I'm so....oh sorry, I said that already. Good Detective Work! Keep it up! You've inspired me to pay more attention and get involved!

I'm going to take a bus over to Sears Roebuck tomorrow and see if I can catch them selling any expired tires! Bye!

(Oh, by the way...........one small change to be aware of...it is a third world country now. Sorry to have to be the one to let you know)

Don't Worry! Be Happy!

So you don't care that you might be eating contaminated or spoiled food? I know it's a good resource for cheap eats, but come on, this is not a third world country.

[cabito]

Hi, I have first hand knowledge about this stuff. I just checked the latest two whole Tyson frozen chickens I purchased from
Grocery Outlet for a date. they are dated FREEZE by 8/07. They are delicious and a great deal. I trust they were frozen y that date.

Grocery Outlet sells legal , sometimes smaller size items such as grade aa eggs,( organic by the way )from Petaluma; sometimes close to code dates. etc. for a great price. If frozen as the case with some of Tyson frozen chicken products, there is a freeze by date, not eat by. I personally buy and love the frozen whole Tyson chickens, preservative free grown in Calif. for $1.99 each. Yes I would love to shop at places like "Whole Paycheck" unfortunately I could not survive financially if I did. I think it is time for the big guys to make healthy food affordable.
Thanks,
Deborah

I agree 100% with Deborah - I went in when they first started arriving, about two months ago, and saw a notice that said that they had been frozen before the pull date. I have a bunch of 'em in my freezer and they are pretty good and definitely worth buying. I look at ALL the expiration dates there (I call it the "Stale Food Store") very carefully and I think the chickens are fine. I'm generally wary of frozen/perishables because you never know how they've been handled, but the chickens turn over pretty quickly.

-Steve

[Dark Shadows]

I looked at those chickens and they looked like the 5,000 year old Bog Man I saw at a museum in Denmark. I wouldn't feed those chickens to a hyena, much less my friends and family. I reported G.O. to the County and they told me they would get check it out and get back to me on the outcome. I will keep you posted.

Hi, I have first hand knowledge about this stuff. I just checked the latest two whole Tyson frozen chickens I purchased from
Grocery Outlet for a date. they are dated FREEZE by 8/07. They are delicious and a great deal. I trust they were frozen y that date.

Grocery Outlet sells legal , sometimes smaller size items such as grade aa eggs,( organic by the way )from Petaluma; sometimes close to code dates. etc. for a great price. If frozen as the case with some of Tyson frozen chicken products, there is a freeze by date, not eat by. I personally buy and love the frozen whole Tyson chickens, preservative free grown in Calif. for $1.99 each. Yes I would love to shop at places like "Whole Paycheck" unfortunately I could not survive financially if I did. I think it is time for the big guys to make healthy food affordable.
Thanks,
Deborah

[Dark Shadows]

Funny you should choose that year, 1976. Any particular reason that year rings a bell?

My heartiest apologies, Dark Shadows! I think you're right. I was in there today cause your post sparked my curiosity and I started checking some boxes. I think I found a box of Barbara's Lasagna that said 1976! ...

[Dark Shadows]

That's funny, when I bought some they were tough and stringy. More like stewing chickens than fryers. I wish you could taste what a real, locally raised, free range chicken tastes like. The taste and texture is completely different. Unfortunately they are quite expensive in the gourmet grocery stores. A healthy alternative are the chickens you can buy at Trader Joes. I believe they have free range chicken. Also, they have boneless, skinless ice glazed breasts that cost about the same as the Tyson chickens if you add up the number of breasts you get per bag.

I used to raise chickens in on my property. I couldnt' bring myself to kill any of them, but the eggs were wonderful. And, my children loved it when the little ones hatched. A farm fresh egg is a million times better than one that have been hanging around the supermarket in the refridgerated section. The egg whites whip up higher and the yolks are brighter, because they have more protein from eating the bugs and worms in the grass. If you had even a small back yard, you could raise a few, maybe three-without a rooster of course because of your neighbors. They are cheap to buy and cheap to keep.

Also, are you sure the chicken you bought came from California? Tyson is based on Arkansas.
USDA Revokes OK For Tyson Chicken Labels

(AP) The U.S. Department of Agriculture has told Tyson Foods Inc. to stop selling chicken as "raised without antibiotics" after the agency said it made a mistake in approving that label, but Tyson disputed the finding Monday and hopes to win approval for a modified label.

The world's largest meat processor said it has been in discussions with the USDA since at least September about the label it introduced this summer in a major marketing campaign for its fresh chicken.

According to a Nov. 6 letter from the USDA, the agency told Tyson it had mistakenly overlooked a feed additive for Tyson's chicken when it approved the no-antibiotics label.

Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson said Monday that the additives, called ionophores, are not antibiotics. The USDA said in its letter that the agency's food safety arm considered ionophores to be antibiotics.

Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said the company plans to submit for USDA approval a new label that still says "raised without antibiotics" but adds some qualifying language about ionophores.

The USDA has given Tyson a temporary stay of 45 days from Nov. 6 to submit a new label and new arguments, to change its feed formula, or to stop using the label. Tyson said it expects no disruption in supplies to consumers.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

[shellebelle]

I have had positive experience with Grocery Warehouse too but do beware, since they are not on the "radar" like Safeway or Lucky's often manufactures have no clue they sold to these stores. But this is also true of DollarTree and the 99cent Only store.

On another side try Trader Joes, I am on a VERY tight budget and I have found that I can buy nicely at Trader Joes and whats really nice is that we can break down portions to fit us easily and thus if we want left overs we have to plan them. This has saved me lots of $$$ by not eventually throwing out the excess from the oversize quantities. AND YES THEY TAKE EBT!!!

Also my son is much healthier, less behavior issues and better focus so I win all the way around!

Hi, I have first hand knowledge about this stuff. I just checked the latest two whole Tyson frozen chickens I purchased from
Grocery Outlet for a date. they are dated FREEZE by 8/07. They are delicious and a great deal. I trust they were frozen y that date.

Grocery Outlet sells legal , sometimes smaller size items such as grade aa eggs,( organic by the way )from Petaluma; sometimes close to code dates. etc. for a great price. If frozen as the case with some of Tyson frozen chicken products, there is a freeze by date, not eat by. I personally buy and love the frozen whole Tyson chickens, preservative free grown in Calif. for $1.99 each. Yes I would love to shop at places like "Whole Paycheck" unfortunately I could not survive financially if I did. I think it is time for the big guys to make healthy food affordable.
Thanks,
Deborah

[amalia]

I've learned to always hang onto my receipt at Grocery Outlet (and all other stores). They have a good return policy.
On the topic of receipts, has anyone noticed that Whole Foods often does not have the correct sale price in their computer and tends to overcharge on sale items? I urge everyone to check their receipt every time at Whole Foods as you will be surprised at the number of errors.

Hi, I have first hand knowledge about this stuff. I just checked the latest two whole Tyson frozen chickens I purchased from
Grocery Outlet for a date. they are dated FREEZE by 8/07. They are delicious and a great deal. I trust they were frozen y that date.

Grocery Outlet sells legal , sometimes smaller size items such as grade aa eggs,( organic by the way )from Petaluma; sometimes close to code dates. etc. for a great price. If frozen as the case with some of Tyson frozen chicken products, there is a freeze by date, not eat by. I personally buy and love the frozen whole Tyson chickens, preservative free grown in Calif. for $1.99 each. Yes I would love to shop at places like "Whole Paycheck" unfortunately I could not survive financially if I did. I think it is time for the big guys to make healthy food affordable.
Thanks,
Deborah

[Rucira]

try calling environmental health branch of the health dept. they need to do a better inspection. usually this expired stuff goes to churches to poison poor and homeless peoples. but then , since we are all great Sages and Gurus and spiritual masters shouldnt have any prop eating arsenic even.

[nicofrog]

WELL[
Yes true true,and I have bought something at Go, found it no good
(in petaluma) returned it just to see them put it right back on the shelf for sale!(non food item).
But hey, why waste energy,If you are concerned with flood victims
keep in mind that every grocery in this county throws away TONS of good edible food every day. SO DO THE FOOD BANKS ,they are often overwhelmed with donations, I know this because I do composting,and I receive a lot of donated food.If One put energy into developing a relationship that is friendly with these grocers, they could easily contribute LOTS of food to the cause.Chocolate companies throw away chocolate because it has lost it's cosmetic value,it can be re melted and be fine again.Check all the local food factories.
Food being old is not a big deal for hungry people.
naturally you stay away from meats etc.
Cheeses and yogurts will often keep months past their due dates in
fine condition when refrigerated. Things like pasta and grains in tight containers away from heat ,light and critters will keep a long time to.
YES, check your receipts ,they did a study on bar codes and stores make millions every year on mistakes that oddly,always seem to fall in their favor!
So called EXPIRED food does little or no harm to anyone, and feeds many hungry people in this county,If people knew the hidden poisons in many of our so called "fresh" foods, they would never eat them again.
A few I will mention are Hydrogenated oils, cottonseed oil( imported from countries where d.d.t. is still legal.)preservatives(mostly in there so they can leave the stuff around at loosely controlled temps. for days at the factory) now they put natamycin in foods , check that one out,yum yum.
If a preservative is there it is to poison micro organisms,we are organisms as well. Sugar and Salt are good relatively safe preservatives.Kill ya if you eat a quart of it.
actually, if you want to eat well don't buy things with long names you don't understand.
Great info about grocery outlet. I think, like whole paycheck,and Smart Trader Joe's,and Sorta Safeway they all serve a purpose, It's OUR job to be alert to what is out there.
Yay to Whole Foods for composting and bio degradeable forks and stuff..
take um home ,use um for picnics, then make pasta with um!
Yay to Trader joe"s for FINALLY getting a recycle bin.
Happy munching!
Live on those free samples!

[Dark Shadows]

Nico, if you are going to attack someone, try someone who hasn't spent all their free time the past few days collecting supplies for flood victims. I don't even know if my own home is leveled, or if there is still something that can be salvaged.

As I said before, those chickens looked like the 5,000 year old bog man I saw in a museum once and I wouldn't feed them to a hyena, much less my friends and family. Who knows for sure when they froze those chickens and what shape the chicken was in when it was frozen. That's the problem, we have to trust the grocer and if that grocer's practices are questionable to begin with, they should be watched - like a hawk. That is why I reported it to the health department.

On the subject of flood relief, put yourself in the shoes of the Native American who has lost his/her home to the storm - in a homeland that has shrunk considerably since his white neighbors set up their homesteads and logging camps. We hand him an expired can of milk or peice of meat and he's going to feel like he and his ancestors have felt for a long time, that the white man is trying to compensate for taking his pristine home and turning it into a garbage dump. Compensating in a way that is more of an insult. Worse yet, think how a native might feel if they had been driven by their land where they were perfectly well fed and happy, and then given food stamps and a welfare to work program to compensate.

They (I) see many Californians eating their gourmet food and drinking their wine with Christmas dinner and as an apathetic bunch of snobs. It's kind of the Marie Antoinette syndrome, "let them eat expired food".

WELL[
Yes true true,and I have bought something at Go, found it no good
(in petaluma) returned it just to see them put it right back on the shelf for sale!(non food item).
But hey, why waste energy,If you are concerned with flood victims
keep in mind that every grocery in this county throws away TONS of good edible food every day. SO DO THE FOOD BANKS ,they are often overwhelmed with donations, I know this because I do composting,and I receive a lot of donated food.If One put energy into developing a relationship that is friendly with these grocers, they could easily contribute LOTS of food to the cause.Chocolate companies throw away chocolate because it has lost it's cosmetic value,it can be re melted and be fine again.Check all the local food factories.
Food being old is not a big deal for hungry people.
naturally you stay away from meats etc.
Cheeses and yogurts will often keep months past their due dates in
fine condition when refrigerated. Things like pasta and grains in tight containers away from heat ,light and critters will keep a long time to.
YES, check your receipts ,they did a study on bar codes and stores make millions every year on mistakes that oddly,always seem to fall in their favor!
So called EXPIRED food does little or no harm to anyone, and feeds many hungry people in this county,If people knew the hidden poisons in many of our so called "fresh" foods, they would never eat them again.
A few I will mention are Hydrogenated oils, cottonseed oil( imported from countries where d.d.t. is still legal.)preservatives(mostly in there so they can leave the stuff around at loosely controlled temps. for days at the factory) now they put natamycin in foods , check that one out,yum yum.
If a preservative is there it is to poison micro organisms,we are organisms as well. Sugar and Salt are good relatively safe preservatives.Kill ya if you eat a quart of it.
actually, if you want to eat well don't buy things with long names you don't understand.
Great info about grocery outlet. I think, like whole paycheck,and Smart Trader Joe's,and Sorta Safeway they all serve a purpose, It's OUR job to be alert to what is out there.
Yay to Whole Foods for composting and bio degradeable forks and stuff..
take um home ,use um for picnics, then make pasta with um!
Yay to Trader joe"s for FINALLY getting a recycle bin.
Happy munching!
Live on those free samples!

[Braggi]

A few I will mention are Hydrogenated oils, cottonseed oil( imported from countries where d.d.t. is still legal.)preservatives(mostly in there so they can leave the stuff around at loosely controlled temps. for days at the factory) now they put natamycin in foods , check that one out,yum yum.
...

OK Nico, you got me going. Had to check out natamycin. Here's what I found: ...Natamycin or Pimaricin (E235) is used as schimmeldodend plea in foods."*

And if that doesn't explain it all! Well, perhaps nothing will. Natamycin is a naturally occurring compound produced by a bacterium and it's used commercially to prevent all those supplement pills you take from getting moldy. Love it, eh? I'd rather have my schimmerldodend plea protected, thank you very much. Actually, since I don't take any pills, I probably don't get much of that particular compound.

Here's a question for you Nico: what one substance has saved more human lives than any other?

-Jeff

* as translated from the Dutch by Wikipedia. It's a hoot!

[Braggi]

...
They (I) see many Californians eating their gourmet food and drinking their wine with Christmas dinner and as an apathetic bunch of snobs. It's kind of the Marie Antoinette syndrome, "let them eat expired food".

I just had to respond to this delightful tidbit since I'm reading Waccobb while enjoying a glass of delightful port (made in Healdsburg-buy local) and nibbling some dark chocolate.

Of course, I got the port as a birthday present and the chocolate came from the Dollar Tree. The chocolate has no manufacturing date nor expiration date so it's good forever!

No, I'm not a rich snob though sometimes I like to snack as though I were one.

-Jeff

[Dark Shadows]

Well Jeff, I hope you will consider coming to our holiday potluck in support of Northwest storm relief. It's sure to be a good time, I've got lots of great recipes and my friend is looking into getting a keg.

I just had to respond to this delightful tidbit since I'm reading Waccobb while enjoying a glass of delightful port (made in Healdsburg-buy local) and nibbling some dark chocolate.

Of course, I got the port as a birthday present and the chocolate came from the Dollar Tree. The chocolate has no manufacturing date nor expiration date so it's good forever!

No, I'm not a rich snob though sometimes I like to snack as though I were one.

-Jeff

[shellebelle]

LOL, uh huh, suuuuure. LOL

By the way I hate that there is no "99 cent only" store around - Vallejo is a hell of a trip! They often carry Lindt chocolate. Last year everyone got great Lindt chocolate for Christmas and I spent very little. If you haven't had their little round truffles you should - so good!!!

But do please come to the potluck and RSVP Kathy. Thank you to everyone who has already helped out with items! Sleeping bags and blanket sleepers for the kids are a God send!

The communities affected are poor to begin with, a house can be bought for less than $60,000 and rents are $400 a month. Utilities are more than rent and businesses aren't hiring. Tech jobs (which you would think would be in the area) don't exist and when they do they pay very poorly - this is not the land of Microsoft. These are good folk, down to earth, and hard working who chose the location not for pretension but because it was affordable. Now many are stuck on top floors of buildings waiting for rescue and water to subside. You know its bad when the Red Cross can't get to people! Now Christmas money is going to living or moving and of course as is always the case in floods all their stuff has been contaminated so nothing survives. The buildings that have been flooded should all be destroyed by professionals and taken to hazmat approved dumps as should everything inthem. The spores of mildew and mold will flourish in the current environment, they will travel with any little disturbance and people and animals will soon be very sick. Some will try to rescue things but its ludicrous. Mold, mildew and sewage are dangerous and deadly and many of these people with no where to go or turn will try to live in what's left. We all could be in the same situation in moments just as they were so please reach out and help!

I just had to respond to this delightful tidbit since I'm reading Waccobb while enjoying a glass of delightful port (made in Healdsburg-buy local) and nibbling some dark chocolate.

Of course, I got the port as a birthday present and the chocolate came from the Dollar Tree. The chocolate has no manufacturing date nor expiration date so it's good forever!

No, I'm not a rich snob though sometimes I like to snack as though I were one.

-Jeff

[nicofrog]

WATER!
or maybe air when they were about to drown!
does LOVE count as a substance, it CAN be substantial!
Niquoe

OK Nico, you got me going. Had to check out natamycin. Here's what I found: ...Natamycin or Pimaricin (E235) is used as schimmeldodend plea in foods."*

And if that doesn't explain it all! Well, perhaps nothing will. Natamycin is a naturally occurring compound produced by a bacterium and it's used commercially to prevent all those supplement pills you take from getting moldy. Love it, eh? I'd rather have my schimmerldodend plea protected, thank you very much. Actually, since I don't take any pills, I probably don't get much of that particular compound.

Here's a question for you Nico: what one substance has saved more human lives than any other?

-Jeff

* as translated from the Dutch by Wikipedia. It's a hoot!

[nicofrog]

Nico, if you are going to attack someone, try someone who hasn't spent all their free time the past few days collecting supplies for flood victims. I don't even know if my own home is leveled, or if there is still something that can be salvaged.
attack? sorry I missed something some where,I was just suggesting that befriending grocers might result in better yields of food
I am not in the war that I know is still raging,I was a financially disadvantaged kid raised on the waterfront ,all my friends were Mexicans,Native Americans(Huichol Apache,Hopi,Kitchaya ) African americans, gypsies ,beatniks ,bohemians communists,hobos,bums,and yes even "Hippys"(they stole there look from me)Yes the chickens suck,and we move on.
As I said before, those chickens looked like the 5,000 year old bog man I saw in a museum once and I wouldn't feed them to a hyena, much less my friends and family. Who knows for sure when they froze those chickens and what shape the chicken was in when it was frozen. That's the problem, we have to trust the grocer and if that grocer's practices are questionable to begin with, they should be watched - like a hawk. That is why I reported it to the health department.
THank you for watching

On the subject of flood relief, put yourself in the shoes of the Native American who has lost his/her home to the storm - in a homeland that has shrunk considerably since his white neighbors set up their homesteads and logging camps. We hand him an expired can of milk or peice of meat and he's going to feel like he and his ancestors have felt for a long time, that the white man is trying to compensate for taking his pristine home and turning it into a garbage dump. Compensating in a way that is more of an insult. Worse yet, think how a native might feel if they had been driven by their land where they were perfectly well fed and happy, and then given food stamps and a welfare to work program to compensate.
fortunately, could never put myself in those shoes, but I thank you
for myself and all the spoiled myopic hippy white trash I hang with for your
intensely educational remarks.
They (I) see many Californians eating their gourmet food and drinking their wine with Christmas dinner and as an apathetic bunch of snobs. It's kind of the Marie Antoinette syndrome, "let them eat expired food".

I enjoy the dumpster food I rescue from the compost
almost daily, grocers often throw out food the next DAY
bread for instance, the new"designer bakery" breads will keep a week out of frig.
I get your point about underclassed people
being chucked a bone. The elders I have talked with said it's time to drop the differences,let go of the bank, go with the current and look around and see who's in there,this could even be fun.
sure ,Tsunamis aren't fun, nor perhaps is death, but this is our lot
on this go round. I don't think any of us have it better or worse here.
if the wave hits here,It won't check what kind of car you drive.
I am homeless, not because I Have to be, I can work.It's because I want to be, it gives me more energy to put toward the grandchildren.
we have a bigger job to do here than create my comfort.
Perhaps we can drop illusions of struggle,and give each other a hand up here? Perhaps WE can learn from our blessings.
hoo ree wari too too naka hee mey

[meherc]

Yikes, you think that was an attack????Wow, you must be a very, very nice person who prays for us lesser beings.

Nico, if you are going to attack someone, try someone who hasn't spent all their free time the past few days collecting supplies for flood victims. I don't even know if my own home is leveled, or if there is still something that can be salvaged.

As I said before, those chickens looked like the 5,000 year old bog man I saw in a museum once and I wouldn't feed them to a hyena, much less my friends and family. Who knows for sure when they froze those chickens and what shape the chicken was in when it was frozen. That's the problem, we have to trust the grocer and if that grocer's practices are questionable to begin with, they should be watched - like a hawk. That is why I reported it to the health department.

On the subject of flood relief, put yourself in the shoes of the Native American who has lost his/her home to the storm - in a homeland that has shrunk considerably since his white neighbors set up their homesteads and logging camps. We hand him an expired can of milk or peice of meat and he's going to feel like he and his ancestors have felt for a long time, that the white man is trying to compensate for taking his pristine home and turning it into a garbage dump. Compensating in a way that is more of an insult. Worse yet, think how a native might feel if they had been driven by their land where they were perfectly well fed and happy, and then given food stamps and a welfare to work program to compensate.

They (I) see many Californians eating their gourmet food and drinking their wine with Christmas dinner and as an apathetic bunch of snobs. It's kind of the Marie Antoinette syndrome, "let them eat expired food".

[meherc]

So read the label yourself and don't buy it.

My heartiest apologies, Dark Shadows! I think you're right. I was in there today cause your post sparked my curiosity and I started checking some boxes. I think I found a box of Barbara's Lasagna that said 1976! I'm not sure. Coulda been a bar code. Those things are hard to read. But I apologize profusely. You were right and I was wrong.

Wait a minute, is it even possible to apologize profusely? Or am I mixing it up with sweating? I don't sweat much so I don't generally use the term. I'm sorry. I apologize. Again. This time not profusely though. Let's try morosely.

I'm ashamed of myself. If they're selling food from the seventies they have no legs to stand on. Especially chicken legs. They shouldn't even be selling music from the seventies!!!!

I'm so....oh sorry, I said that already. Good Detective Work! Keep it up! You've inspired me to pay more attention and get involved!

I'm going to take a bus over to Sears Roebuck tomorrow and see if I can catch them selling any expired tires! Bye!

(Oh, by the way...........one small change to be aware of...it is a third world country now. Sorry to have to be the one to let you know)

Don't Worry! Be Happy!

[Shandi]

Does anyone remember when foods didn't have expiration dates? We had to be responsible to use our senses.

Also, does anyone keep leftovers so long, they grow mold or become a mystery food? Now, who can we blame?

A certain perspective can be gained from gathering food from dumpsters behind grocery stores. I've done it, and appreciate that stores throw out so much expired food.

I bought something at Raley's recently that I didn't notice had an expiration date of 6 months ago, but when I open the package, I could smell that it was rancid. I returned it.

At stores like Grocery Outlet, and the Dollar Store, I expect to look more closely at expiration dates.
Sometimes I buy the items anyway.

If we're reading labels for GMOs, and ingredients, we may as well check the expiration date while we're at it.

So read the label yourself and don't buy it.

[onederfull life]

All THIS fuss over a place called Gross Out! Ummm... I would never expect a chain like gross out to carry good healthful food. If you are shopping there, cost (as in the u.s.d.$$), not quality, is your main concern. Sorry, that's just the way it is, some things will never change. I hope you all have a Onederfull day!

[Shandi]

It's kinda "gross" to imagine that most of the 99% are forced to consider cost above quality.

I wonder what the average income for Whole Foods shoppers is. You can always expect to pay more there, but when you've got plenty of money why not get the best? And while you're there I hope you contribute generously to the food bank so they can feed those who have to get their food from even
grosser places than Grocery Outlet.......guess where? Dumpsters...talk about gross! And they're thrilled to find something edible.

Where would you shop if you were homeless, disabled, unemployed, or a low income senior? It's all a matter of perspective, but you may not have "been there, done that".

Maybe next time around, or even soon. We take our abundance and security for granted, but "things CAN, and WILL CHANGE". Even those with plenty of U.S.Dollars will find them useless when stores are out of food, and utilities aren't available. It's all going to be pretty gross; the signs are here.

Have a happy day while you can!

All THIS fuss over a place called Gross Out! Ummm... I would never expect a chain like gross out to carry good healthful food. If you are shopping there, cost (as in the u.s.d.$$), not quality, is your main concern. Sorry, that's just the way it is, some things will never change. I hope you all have a Onederfull day!

[kathleenmc1953]

THIS comment strikes me as dishearteningly elitist and offensive.....Many people have few options having lost their jobs, homes and/or health.

But perhaps your comment was not meant to be mean spirited....

All THIS fuss over a place called Gross Out! Ummm... I would never expect a chain like gross out to carry good healthful food. If you are shopping there, cost (as in the u.s.d.$$), not quality, is your main concern. Sorry, that's just the way it is, some things will never change. I hope you all have a Onederfull day!

[Shandi]

There are 2 Dollar stores in RPk!

LOL, uh huh, suuuuure. LOL

By the way I hate that there is no "99 cent only" store around - Vallejo is a hell of a trip! They often carry Lindt chocolate. Last year everyone got great Lindt chocolate for Christmas and I spent very little. If you haven't had their little round truffles you should - so good!!!

But do please come to the potluck and RSVP Kathy. Thank you to everyone who has already helped out with items! Sleeping bags and blanket sleepers for the kids are a God send!

The communities affected are poor to begin with, a house can be bought for less than $60,000 and rents are $400 a month. Utilities are more than rent and businesses aren't hiring. Tech jobs (which you would think would be in the area) don't exist and when they do they pay very poorly - this is not the land of Microsoft. These are good folk, down to earth, and hard working who chose the location not for pretension but because it was affordable. Now many are stuck on top floors of buildings waiting for rescue and water to subside. You know its bad when the Red Cross can't get to people! Now Christmas money is going to living or moving and of course as is always the case in floods all their stuff has been contaminated so nothing survives. The buildings that have been flooded should all be destroyed by professionals and taken to hazmat approved dumps as should everything inthem. The spores of mildew and mold will flourish in the current environment, they will travel with any little disturbance and people and animals will soon be very sick. Some will try to rescue things but its ludicrous. Mold, mildew and sewage are dangerous and deadly and many of these people with no where to go or turn will try to live in what's left. We all could be in the same situation in moments just as they were so please reach out and help!

[Quality IsAlways Best]

Grocery outlet is disgusting!!!! I live in WA State...My hubby & I went in one location & thank God i take the time to look at expiration dates, as every item we picked up was waaay past its expiration. I'm not talking 1-2 or 3 days, I'm talking months past. We then decided to go to another one a few weekss later (that was next door to a clothing store we frequent), just to see if they too had a bunch of expired food, in which they did. I will most definitely be reporting them! It's also very sad to see how people support these crappy places, not caring about their health.

[Shandi]

Let's consider why people shop at discount places, like Grocery Outlet, and even buy outdated food items:

1. They aren't making a "living" wage, so any food is better than no food,especially when you have children to feed.
2. They're homeless, and don't have a job, but are able to get a small amount of food stamps that has to stretch
for a month.
3. They're a senior living on social security of $1000 a month or less, paying rent for a room, which leaves
them $300-400 for food, non foods, gas, car insurance. How does your income compare?
4. They "dumpster dive" for food when they're hungry, and aren't paying attention to dates if they're lucky enough to
buy something at Grocery Outlet.

The old saying "beggars can't be choosers" may ring a bell, but if you've never been in that position, you can
afford to be indignant that people would eat outdated foods.

Some of us who live in America are insulated from the lives of people who would be thrilled to get outdated food, to keep them alive.

Who's old enough to remember that we didn't always have dates on food? We used our eyes and nose to detect if
something was bad.

Have you checked your refrigerator lately? How do you know when the food is out dated? Now, who can you blame for this? Someone in your family might eat it, since it doesn't have an expiration date on it.

Your perspective is related to your financial situation, but that can change at any time, like it has for millions of Americans.

I think the quality of compassion is more important than the dates on food that many people have to overlook to stay alive, and yes through no choice of their own, "unhealthy".

Sometimes true empathy only comes from experiencing the thing that we judge as "disgusting" in others.