“Expired Food? No, Thanks!” with this sentence Greek Consumers’ Association reacted to Development Ministry decision to allow expired food items to be sold at supermarkets and food stores at lower price as of 1. September 2013.
The Association notes that the regulation “will turn the country into a vast garbage dump and will crumple the dignity of the citizens” and “will divide consumers into two-tier citizens,” GCA said in a statement.
After the outcry on Monday deputy development minister blamed the media for spreading “false information” and insisted that “nothing changes in the regulations about expired food.” Reading the statement of deputy Mr Skordas, everybody understands what the deputy minister did not: that expired food like pulse, rice, pasta, oil etc will be sold at supermarkets, but not not-durable food items like milk.
I have to say that, when I read the statement of mr. Skordas, I did not understand what he was saying. All kinds of food will be sold in all kind of time-limits… And all this stuff can be bought and consumed with no(?) ill effects to the health of the consumer… but it can’t be served in restaurants???
So it’s unsafe after all? Or isn’t it?
But this reaction is typical:
As if the country isn’t divided into two-tiers already: those who have work and still an income and those 1,5 million or so who are out of work.
And for turning the country into a vast garbage dump? How are things at the moment around XADA’s and all the illegal dumping grounds around Greece? Can’t believe that cleared up all of a sudden…
he did not understand either what he was saying.
GCA probably means ‘all expired food’ garbage from EU will land to Greece.
Antonis, our dignity will go bust and thus with expiration date.
It’s not that there will be diet-cookies send to a starving country in sub-Saharan Africa, like a Dutch company did a couple of decades ago. THAT was sick.
I used to buy stuff like that before I came to Greece. Nothing wrong with it ever. Heck, I even preferred it for fresh vegetables. Local Turkish shops would sell cucumbers or tomatoes that weren’t sold at the local wholesale markets because they were not straight or had strange shapes). But the taste was much better than the ‘right’ stuff.
When the dignity of a whole people can suffer badly because of this then I suddenly understand everything that has been going on the last couple of years. 😉
But you mention the core problem of Greece:
That’s really not the Greek way…
i hope the cucumbers did not turn un-straight AFTER their expiration date. we both know what we mean, right?
diet-coke to Sahara? LOL
Lets be honest now, expired goods are sold in the UK which in practice a much more civilized country than Greece. They sell it in a special part of the supermarket usually at the end of the day at a big discount as they are trying to clear their stock. This is not dangerous.
I personally don’t believe the 4 day expiry date of milk in Greece while in the UK its 7 days.
So I actually did a test and noticed that my milk started tasting sour 5 days after the expiry date.
In today’s world you don’t know who to believe; the milk producer’s union? Certainly not!
So I will keep my fresh milk in the fridge for 7 days and not have to go to the supermarket everyday like everyone else.
In practice there is nothing wrong with selling ‘expired’ goods as long as it is controlled in an appropriate way.
another question here is: how to control restaurants, catering etc from not using expired food
funny. my fresh milk goes bad next day after expiration date. yogurt lasts longer. In summer open fresh milk goes sour even before the expiration date in the fridge. Rice or flour get nice little black spots that love to walk around.
no one can seriously compare UK food to Greek food…at least not in the past.
I would disagree. Most US supermarkets have a rack at the back of the store that sell the expired (read: best by) products at cheaper prices. Many Americans like me grew up on these products and we did just fine. Greeks will survive as well. REMEMBER: Expired products does NOT mean Spoiled products, and no one is forced to buy them, only people like me, who are a bit cheap, and are not so fussy.
There is nothing wrong with expired food,just use your nose,in fact the same applies with those in government or organizations with vested interest.
yes, the are unable to pick up the fight with the price cartels and force price decreases, therefore expire food for lower price.