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How can I stop a shop from selling food that has crossed the expiry date by several months?

• There is a shop near my university that is selling stuff that is years (?!) old. Even after pointing that out and warning them, they do nothing about it and say that they can't just throw it out. Next time I go there, I notice that they scraped off the dates from the same stock, even though they still sell other stuff that is probably not safe for consumption anymore and people often buy it without checking the dates. What can I do to stop this?

• Answer:

  Is the date an actual expiry date--that is, 'use by' date--or a 'best by' date? If the food is fresh meat, dairy, eggs, or fish, it most likely has a 'use by' date.Frozen meats and fish may also fall in this category. In most states it is illegal to sell past the marked date or to change the date on these items because the dating is a matter of food safety. If it's the 'best by' date, then it's likely that your talking about canned or boxed foods, The date is not an expiration date, it's a manufacturer's suggestion. That suggestion may be informed by facts, by the maker's concern about how perfectly his products are presented, or to encourage quicker turnover on the shelves. It could cynically be designed to make sure consumers throw out items earlier than they need to do so, or it could be fulfilling customer desire to have the freshest of foods. In any event, it's a food quality, not safety issue. Selling goods past their 'best by' date is not illegal in most states, though laws differ on this. New York requires all food to have an expiry date; California does not require any food to have an expiry date. Foods are generally safe for years after their 'best by' dates. The entire niche of discount groceries (not to be confused with big-box stores with groceries) relies on buying goods near or at their expiry dates and selling them cheaply. If you don't care for this practice, you are free to move upmarket and pay more for the same items with more recent dates. If it morally offends you, then there's not much you can do beyond trying to shame the store into action. The store is violating no laws. You can also try and change your state's laws. If it's actually past is expiration date, the 'use by' date, then, depending on state law, you might be able to call in the health authorities. Depending on your state, that may be a state consumer agency, dept. of agriculture, or food safety office. You might also be able to sue the store if you were to eat an expired item and become ill.