Sell By Dates

[uptheos]

I go to the movies frequently, so I go to Airport Plaza. Therefore, I often pick up some things I want in TOPS. On Wednesday I wanted to pick up a jar of Marmite - 379 Baht! I looked at the sell by date and it was February 12....all of them were. I took a jar to the customer service counter and showed the guy and to his credit he came, looked and took the whole batch off the shelf.....well done!

Yesterday, I needed to go to TOT, so popped into TOPS again. Of course I looked at the Marmite section and it was re-stocked, with jars that had a sell by date.......yep you've guessed it.......Feb 12. I went back to customer service, saw the same guy and asked him how they were back on the shelf. I could see he was embarrassed and he said nothing, except rushed to the aisle, swept the whole lot away again and with a thank you disappeared. I'm not really obsessive about sell by dates, but when it comes to an item such as this that I might have open in my fridge for quite a while (and considering the hefty price tag) I think it's a very poor show. However, over many years this is the first 'problem' I personally have had with TOPS and I know that they usually sell off a lot of stuff (even foreign goods) near the SBD cheaply, so I wonder what happened? Maybe they did put 'new' jars up from stock, that have the same SBD? Anyway, keep an eye out on other things.... if you want, of course.

Sorry to my Aussie pals, never checked the Vegemite.

Edited March 16, 2012 by uptheos

[BookMan]

Sell by dates on items like marmite/vegemite are usually months and months erring on the side of caution. Personally I have used Vegemite that is over a year past its use by date to no ill effects.

[uptheos]

Sell by dates on items like marmite/vegemite are usually months and months erring on the side of caution. Personally I have used Vegemite that is over a year past its use by date to no ill effects.

I would have expected Feb 13 - obviously a sign of the times.

Like you, I've eaten lots of stuff past it's SBD, but selling it is another thing.

[egdirb]

That is interesting because TOP's Chuang Pueak had them discounted to about 189THB first week of February with a mid February use by date. Perhaps a bit of store transferral.

[uptheos]

That is interesting because TOP's Chuang Pueak had them discounted to about 189THB first week of February with a mid February use by date. Perhaps a bit of store transferral.

That does sound interesting.

[junglechef]

I once took home some yogurt from Rimping that was before it's due date but upon when I went to eat it at home it was really rancid, perhaps from handling (shipping or storage) and when I told them they said I should open everything I buy when I'm still there but after I pay to be sure it hasn't gone bad. Very practical advice, at least for them.

[uptheos]

I once took home some yogurt from Rimping that was before it's due date but upon when I went to eat it at home it was really rancid, perhaps from handling (shipping or storage) and when I told them they said I should open everything I buy when I'm still there but after I pay to be sure it hasn't gone bad. Very practical advice, at least for them.

What you mean stand at the check out, opening up jars of runny things or items you don't yet want to break the vacuum?

[NancyL]

Yup, always check sell-by dates and buy the freshest yogurt, milk, etc. Did that in the U.S., too.

Rim Ping Airport does a good job of checking their inventory and often discount items that are getting close to their sell-by date. Great way to pick up things like canned soup, salad dressing, peanut butter -- i.e. things that are OK if used after their sell-by date.

I don't understand the advice about opening items while still in the store. I'm not going to open a week's supply of little yogurt containers, milk, etc. Those are items you need to use within a day or two of opening, but they are OK up to their sell-by date if refrigerated and unopened.

Edited March 16, 2012 by NancyL

[uptheos]

Yup, always check sell-by dates and buy the freshest yogurt, milk, etc. Did that in the U.S., too.

Rim Ping Airport does a good job of checking their inventory and often discount items that are getting close to their sell-by date. Great way to pick up things like canned soup, salad dressing, peanut butter -- i.e. things that are OK if used after their sell-by date.

I don't understand the advice about opening items while still in the store. I'm not going to open a week's supply of little yogurt containers, milk, etc. Those are items you need to use within a day or two of opening, but they are OK up to their sell-by date if refrigerated and unopened.

I agree. The Marmite is most probably OK, but items are not usually displayed well after their SBD - more often on the day or maybe a day or two before. I'm also not sure about opening things as said by junglechef. Apart from breaking the vacuum, how to re-seal a dozen yoghurts?

[necronx99]

Don't know about that marmite crud but good old Vegemite never goes off.

I have jars that are a good 3 or 4 years old. After a nuclear war there will be cockroaches and Vegemite, thats it.

What would off marmite taste like? How could you tell?

[uptheos]

Don't know about that marmite crud but good old Vegemite never goes off.

I have jars that are a good 3 or 4 years old. After a nuclear war there will be cockroaches and Vegemite, thats it.

What would off marmite taste like? How could you tell?

It's not about whether it goes off or not, it's selling it at a premium price, a month past its SBD.

[LivinLOS]

Marmite never goes off..

They found some in the pyramids and it was still good. True story.

[Wavefloater]

Don't know about that marmite crud but good old Vegemite never goes off.

I have jars that are a good 3 or 4 years old. After a nuclear war there will be cockroaches and Vegemite, thats it.

What would off marmite taste like? How could you tell?

I think there are a lot of people who feel that Vegemite tastes like cockroaches (probably do), so I guess that's appropriate.

I'm not from Oz but have enough Oz friends that I've actually got accustomed to it's unique flavor and can appreciate it sometimes. My favorite use for it is adding it when I make gravy.

[necronx99]

Don't know about that marmite crud but good old Vegemite never goes off.

I have jars that are a good 3 or 4 years old. After a nuclear war there will be cockroaches and Vegemite, thats it.

What would off marmite taste like? How could you tell?

It's not about whether it goes off or not, it's selling it at a premium price, a month past its SBD.

Ehhh, sell by, best before, it's like the pirate code, it be more of a guideline than a rule.

[Awk]

Don't know about that marmite crud but good old Vegemite never goes off.

I have jars that are a good 3 or 4 years old. After a nuclear war there will be cockroaches and Vegemite, thats it.

What would off marmite taste like? How could you tell?

It's not about whether it goes off or not, it's selling it at a premium price, a month past its SBD.

Ehhh, sell by, best before, it's like the pirate code, it be more of a guideline than a rule.

Obviously the staff at Tops, unlike you, understand what it means, which is why they removed it once

somebody else noticed it.

That they put it back, and that the OP had the luck of encountering the same clown when he noticed it the next day

is slightly hilarious however. I've read here before that at least some branches of rimping have some clued up

people one could try asking "why", but dunno about tops.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

For highly processed/manufactured food, the sell-by date is usually very very conservative.

For stuff like shellfish and pork, I'd pay attention.

But if you're trying to actually be healthy as opposed to just avoiding illness, avoid all of the above and ensure that 80-90% of your intake is from the farmer's market, where you can spot stuff wilting by the end of the day!

Of course then you can worry about the pesticides 8-)

[MrBrad]

Here are some definitions I found on the internet; this is the nomenclature that is generally used in the USA. Application of those terms here could be different, of course.

Expiration date terminology

These terms all apply to unopened products.

• Best if used by and use-by date: With emphasis on the best qualifier in this term, it means the product should retain maximum freshness, flavor and texture if used by this date. It is not a purchase-by or safety date. Beyond this date, the product begins to deteriorate, although it may still be edible.

• Expiration date: If you haven't used the product by this date, toss it out. Other dating terms are used as a basic guideline, but this one means what it says.

• Sell-by or pull-by date: This date is used by manufacturers to tell grocers when to remove their product from the shelves, but there is generally still some leeway for home usage. For example, milk often has a sell-by date, but the milk will usually still be good for at least a week beyond that date if properly refrigerated.

• Guaranteed fresh: This date is often used for perishable baked goods. Beyond this date, freshness is no longer guaranteed although it may still be edible.

• Pack date: This is the date the item was packed, most-used on canned and boxed goods. It is usually in the form of an encrypted code not easy to decipher. It may be coded by month (M), day (D), and year (Y), such as YYMMDD or MMDDYY. Or it may be coded using Julian (JJJ) numbers, where January 1 would be 001 and December 31 would be 365. In even more convoluted coding, letters A through M (omitting the letter I) are often assigned to the months, with A being January and M being December, plus a numeric day, either preceded or followed by the numeric year.

[junglechef]

I think they were just saying anything at that point as not to give me a refund. This came after I politely asked the desk manager her name and she refused to tell me even tough there was a large picture with her name in big letters right under it on counter right next where she was standing and before I asked to speak to the manager which she replied that the manager did not speak English exactly when the manager appeared and then proceeded to speak very good English. She was not typical of the Rimping staff and I have not seen her since.

[MAJIC]

Don't know about that marmite crud but good old Vegemite never goes off.

I have jars that are a good 3 or 4 years old. After a nuclear war there will be cockroaches and Vegemite, thats it.

What would off marmite taste like? How could you tell?

Don't worry about the expiry date on Vegemite, it has another use: greasing wheel bearings, and rusty machinery.

[mcgriffith]

I probably shouldn't say this, being a mod and all that...but I will anyway.

I am thoroughly disappointed in Tops, particularly the KSK branch that I usually patronize.

The floods impacted all retailers in Thailand, and I'm aware that there were serious supply chain problems all around.

But long after all the other majors like Tesco and Big C had pretty much restocked everything- Tops was still a joke. For weeks and months in some cases.

As in no toilet tissue. No paper towels. No butter. No soup, mayo, lettuce, mouthwash, toothpaste....the list goes on and on.

Maybe I'm being a paranoiac, or perhaps an amateur logistics maven.

I have a sense, just a feeling....that Tops being owned by Central Pattana (CPN) is a very Bangkok-centric company.

When the flit hit the shan, so to speak, whatever (limited) supply was directed to the Bangkok area stores. Their core Sino-Thai market.

As in fark the provinces, let those peasants use a bum squirter.

Back on topic somewhat, I find their prices on Brit imported goods utterly laughable. Saw an ad spread today in That Paper We Are Not Allowed To Quote, for various imported Waitrose brand frozen vegetables.

Does anyone actually buy veggies grown in Tunisia or Israel, flown to the UK, processed and frozen in some factory in the Midlands, and shipped to Thailand- sold for 10X the price of local produce? Talk about carbon footprint....that is a Godzilla footprint. Of course I am aware CPN has an investment stake in Waitrose. I do buy (occasionally) some of the CPN store branded products like olive oil, red wine vinegar, etc. when I don't want to make the trek to Rimping or Big C (Carrefour) for similar or better products.

My advice to Tops is that they need to sharpen their game a lot. The growth picture in retail is in the provinces, not Bangkok.

My 25 satang.

[LivinLOS]

Not being snide but what does tops offer that rimping doesnt do better ??

My few trips to tops have just reminded me why I am glad CM has rimping.. Better veg, better bakery, better cheeses.. Better pricing..

Just not seeing any upside unless your already in airport plaza.

[uptheos]

I think they were just saying anything at that point as not to give me a refund. This came after I politely asked the desk manager her name and she refused to tell me even tough there was a large picture with her name in big letters right under it on counter right next where she was standing and before I asked to speak to the manager which she replied that the manager did not speak English exactly when the manager appeared and then proceeded to speak very good English. She was not typical of the Rimping staff and I have not seen her since.

Yes, it's strange how they have the ability to turn English understanding on and off.

[NancyL]

Not being snide but what does tops offer that rimping doesnt do better ??

My few trips to tops have just reminded me why I am glad CM has rimping.. Better veg, better bakery, better cheeses.. Better pricing..

Just not seeing any upside unless your already in airport plaza.

I agree, but Tops KSK is a few steps from my condo, while the nearest Rim Ping is a song thaew ride away.

Every few weeks I go with a larger list of staples and buy enough to qualify for free home delivery. Last time I tried to do this at Tops KSK, I found they were still out of so many basics -- like All Bran cereal, Coke Zero, low fat peanut butter, paper towels, etc. I finally just walked out, leaving my cart with some items in it and got a song thaew to Rim Ping. What a waste of my time -- I should have jumped on a song thaew the moment I left the condo.

Edited March 17, 2012 by NancyL

[elektrified]

Tops KSK, Central Airport, and Chang Phueak have become somewhat of a joke since the floods. I used shop in them (as well as Rimping) but the last 4 or 5 times I went to Tops including as recently as last week, they never have one single item on my list in stock! Never! I'm talking about the most simple of things, not esoteric imported goods.

Pathetic, really.

[hellodolly]

Well the only thing that surprises me is that upthos goes to the movies in Airport when they are so mich cheaper at KSK.

[barefoot1988]

by tops chang phueak, is that the one located beside mecure hotel? i buy my stuff regularly over there, seems all fine

[uptheos]

Well the only thing that surprises me is that upthos goes to the movies in Airport when they are so mich cheaper at KSK.

Very few English soundtrack movie's at KSK plus the picture and sound quality is piss poor.

What was the last English soundtrack movie you saw at KSK?

I don't consider 80 Baht for a senior at Cineplex expensive, especially since it's nearer to me as well.

[AnnaBanana]

Don't know about that marmite crud but good old Vegemite never goes off.

I have jars that are a good 3 or 4 years old. After a nuclear war there will be cockroaches and Vegemite, thats it.

What would off marmite taste like? How could you tell?

Cockroaches and Vegemite, that's it.

That would mean the end of cockroaches as we know them.

It would lead to virtual extinction from eating the Vegemite.

Any survivors among them will experience the all too familiar and tragic consequences of a Vegemite diet.

Extreme cultural decline. With their intellectual, artistic, and other higher faculties atrophied to the point of extinction.

[hellodolly]

Well the only thing that surprises me is that upthos goes to the movies in Airport when they are so mich cheaper at KSK.

Very few English soundtrack movie's at KSK plus the picture and sound quality is piss poor.

What was the last English soundtrack movie you saw at KSK?

I don't consider 80 Baht for a senior at Cineplex expensive, especially since it's nearer to me as well.

Well I did see Al Gores a uncomfortable truth but I never was a cheap Charley so I tend to treat myself pretty good in spite of the cost. I even knowingly pay 60 baht for a 50 baht tuck tuck ride.

[trainman34014]

I've found out of date foods in BigC and Tesco over a period of several months and I always draw their attention to it and they remove it right away. Always seems strange that they reduce certain items on a daily basis but seem to ignore large area's of dated produce. In house education problems me thinks.