Buyers Be Careful!

Most consumers are busy people. They rush into supermarkets and wholesales and grab items in a hurry and often don’t take the time to examine the products until they are home.

Of course it’s at home that consumers then realize that the product has a flaw.

Examine before you Buy

Whether you are buying food products or other items, it is important for consumers to shop wisely. This entails carefully looking at every aspect of the product not just the price. I have seen persons eagerly buying products on sale without checking the condition of the item.

Clothing on sale can be stained or dirty which detracts from the money that you thought that you saved. This could have been avoided if you had simply checked it before you bought it.

What about food items?

Well one major problem for consumers is inadvertently buying products which have passed their due date.

Are Expiration dates important?

These “use by” and “best” dates are generally found on shelf-stable products such as mustard, mayonnaise, and peanut butter. The date, which is provided voluntarily by the manufacturer, tells you how long the product is likely to remain at its absolute best quality when unopened.

After the “use by” or “best” date has passed, you may start to notice gradual changes in the unopened product’s texture, color, or flavour.  But as long as you’ve been storing the unopened item properly, you can generally consume it beyond this date.

Most sell-by dates are found on perishables like meat, seafood, poultry and milk. The date is a guide for stores to know how long they can display a particular product.

You should buy the product before the sell-by date expires. But you can still store it at home for some time beyond that date, as long as you follow safe storage procedures. For instance, it is possible that milk that has been continuously refrigerated can remain drinkable for about one week after the “sell by” date on the package. However, be careful of purchasing meat products after the ‘sell by’ date.

Regardless of the issue with expiration dates, it is important for consumers to check the product to ensure that they get value for their money!

So what’s your take? Do you examine products carefully when you shop?

Let me hear from you!

Tags: shopping