Food Lion never recovered from Primetime Live! Good!

[Becks]

Makes you wonder what other stores are doing things like this.

My store has pretty high standards...but I've heard a story or two from the meat room pertaining to the seasoned chicken.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Well, I was working channel 25 when the Food Lion stuff aired. I had quit buying meat from them before that, when me and husband got sick AT THE TABLE eating meat I'd bought there. I imagine they aren't the only chain doing icky practices, but when you can see moldy cheese, rotten produce, and stinky meat in the store, it's not like the news show did them any harm.

Amazingly, I find the local Sam's Club to have excellent stuff. My guess is that the turnover there is so high the stuff does not have time to go bad. I used to be scared to buy there, but really, the stuff is very fresh.

[Crosshair]

Amazingly, I find the local Sam's Club to have excellent stuff. My guess is that the turnover there is so high the stuff does not have time to go bad. I used to be scared to buy there, but really, the stuff is very fresh.

At the Sam's Club in my town they reduce the price on the meat that is about to go past it's sell by date. I would guess the logic is that it is better to get something for it rather than have to throw it out and get nothing. Though you never know what is going to be in the reduced section of the fridge. My mom buys up that stuff and we either eat it that night or repack it and stuff it in the freezer. Never gotten sick from that meat.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

In foodlion's defense, not every store is like that. The ones I've been to in Maryland have always been good. The meats were fresh, the veggies were crisp and eggs and milk were well before expiration and we go through milk so fast I swear we need to buy a cow or two. The worst food lion I've ever been to in Maryland was in the middle of remodeling and such was a bit of a pain in the ass to push a cart around on...replacing tiles.

[Lace Neil Singer]

OK, I'm seriously confused right now. What the hell is foodlion when it's at home? Someone help me out here.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I have a personal rule: Never buy bargain meat. You can buy a lot of things off the clearance rack. Meat is not one of them.

The husband comes home one night with reduced FISH. I'm like, "what the hell is this?" That's not oldish supper. That's newish bait. So I open it up and take a look and the freaking second fish (it was two fish in the pack) had some kind of freaking CRINOID attached to it. No kidding, it was about 2 or 3 inches long.

I was appalled. How do you not see something like that hanging off a fish you are packing?!?!??!

Unbelievable.

[thegiraffe]

Amazingly, I find the local Sam's Club to have excellent stuff. My guess is that the turnover there is so high the stuff does not have time to go bad. I used to be scared to buy there, but really, the stuff is very fresh.

We tend to prefer Costco (used to be price club way back when). The selection is better (more gourmet...mom and dad are 'foodies' lol), prices are cheaper, and people are nicer. As far as freshness, we've never had an issue either place. Dad used to work in a restaurant, so we're ANAL about food safety and freshness, and he thoroughly inspects anything we buy for fat content, marbling, color, smell, etc. I won't even drink milk if it's within 2 days BEFORE the expiration date. This stems from taking a nice swig from milk that was 2 days from the expiration date and getting a...surprise. Everything that touched raw meat (especially chicken) gets a nice hot soapy scrubdown in addition to the dishwasher (except cuttingboards and our knives - they get 2 hot soapy scrubdowns). We've never had food poisoning in my house. [Even in restaurants, if the food isn't hot, we send it back and order something else. Room temperature is more than just not tasty for food - especially meat - it's dangerous. If it happens more than once somewhere, we don't go back. Not worth risking our health on.]

At work (Publix), I've only caught bad meat twice coming through my register (that's after 4.5 years there). The first one, I'm positive it just got passed over accidentally. It had an interesting color and a putrid smell. I want to know how the customer didn't realize that. I smelled it, and had the bagger give it back to me. I looked at it, made a face, and said to the customer "go find another one - this one is bad." They thanked me profusely, and I gave it to them for free (per the manager, to prevent any potential litigation or whatever). The 2nd one was bloated - I'm positive some idiotic customer decided they 'didn't want it' and left it out in room temperature, and someone else, wanting to be 'helpful', put it back in the case. Same deal with that one. Again though - how does the customer not notice? I inspect fresh stuff up, down, and sideways before THINKING of buying it. I guess I'm super anal, but it's paid off.