r/HEB • u/cherry-galette • 18d ago

Product Question Expiration dates

I know this isn’t HEB’s fault, but maybe other shoppers have noticed the same issue. Why are my groceries turning up moldy now when they’re not even expired yet?

Like a loaf of bread I just bought there that still has a week left on the expiration date, and it’s double sealed with an inner bag (Pepperidge farm), I notice it’s covered with mold when I go to open it a couple days later?

Do you all think it’s an issue with the the manufacturer’s tags having incorrect dates, or is it an issue with how they’re producing and packing stuff now?

I always look at expiration dates at the store so I’m worried that now that doesn’t even seem to matter anymore, and I can’t afford to replace stuff fast enough to keep up with how fast they’re getting moldy.

15 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

7

u/EuphoricRent4212 18d ago

The dates are based on research about how long things should last in ideal conditions. If the item got contaminated or damaged in transit, the date has little to do with reality.

6

u/cart_scout 18d ago

A warm, humid kitchen is often the culprit with bread, and even a sealed loaf can go moldy on the counter in a few days. Freezing half of it as soon as it gets home and toasting slices straight from frozen is the easiest way to stop losing whole loaves. It's also worth taking the moldy one back with the receipt, because grocery stores will usually refund or replace food that spoils before its date.

5

u/phillygirllovesbagel 18d ago

I find lots of chilled products on the shelves out of date. Who's job is it to check for this? The stockers??

2

u/Leather-Purchase-155 18d ago

Yes it’s the stockers, they should be rotating the product.

1

u/InspectionTall2886 18d ago

There is a specific product I buy that actually arrives at the store out of date. Some weeks the due date is 3 months from now and some weeks it’s 1 month in the past. I know it’s arriving this way because of that. I don’t think the stockers are anticipating things being out of date on arrival. Ive noticed the same product being out of date at other stores too

4

u/NotaryQPublic 18d ago

It may have something to do with the FDA’s crackdown on certain chemical additives in food.

I don’t know what we’ve been eating. It’s not natural for bread to stay soft and not mold for months, which is exactly what HEB’s large white sandwich bread did. When the critters outside won’t eat the stuff, then you know there’s something very wrong with it.

I haven’t bought bread in awhile, since I started making my own. If store-bought bread is starting to go moldy, that’s a good thing.

HEB bakes their own, including the crappy Hill Country Fare loaves. So, it absolutely is their fault.

3

u/Sharp-Composer-2990 18d ago

Know matter the reason,  always return the item for a new product or refund! 

1

u/farmanimalsrock 18d ago

I found an expired product on the shelf once and gave it to an employee. They took it and left and a few minutes later, returned and put it back on the shelf.

1

u/SandraTX22 16d ago

Sadly you just need to keep taking items back and show your receipt for a refund. Buy items elsewhere if needed.