How To Make Sure You Get The Freshest Perishables Possible At The Grocery Store

There are many mistakes you can make while grocery shopping and one of the worst is picking your perishables from the front of the shelf. This is because all grocers use the "first in, first out" (FIFO) method, which means the freshest stock is always rotated to the back. Grocery stores do this so that the items that have been sitting on shelves the longest are the first ones to be purchased by customers. Therefore, these products will have a closer sell-by or use-by date than the newer items, which come to the front as older stock is purchased. 

One reason for the FIFO method is to reduce the risk of selling potentially expired items to customers. However, it also saves grocers money by decreasing food waste. Once an item is past its date, stores must remove it from shelves, which results in a loss to their bottom line. But if customers consistently purchase goods at the front with closer expiration dates, this risk is lowered. Unfortunately, this means that most shoppers aren't getting the freshest items. 

That said, FIFO can benefit you as a customer if you always grab perishable groceries from the back of the shelf. While this doesn't matter much for frozen, canned, or shelf-stable items, as they often stay good for longer, it's essential for fresh foods like dairy, eggs, meat, and produce.

While choosing your perishable goods from the back of the shelf is one way to ensure you get the freshest items, you'll still want to check the expiration dates because stocking mistakes can happen. In March 2024, a Family Dollar in Massachusetts was found to have several expired products on shelves, some with sell-by dates for 2023. Similarly, Save Mart Supermarkets in California was hit with a $1.6 million fine in May 2024 for selling expired products to customers. Although most stores are vigilant about using the FIFO method, it's still best to double-check the dates on every perishable product you buy. 

That said, some perishables are okay to eat past their sell-by dates, but buying them is generally not recommended if you have other options as they will have to be used quickly. For the same reason, you may want to steer clear of those manager's specials you see at the store. While the items might be cheap, they're also typically close to going bad. 

Not only are fresher products of a better quality, but you can also store them for longer without worrying about them degrading. Moreover, perishable foods can pose a health risk when expired as bacteria can grow in them over time, leading to spoilage and potentially foodborne illnesses. This is especially true of perishables with few or no preservatives, such as poultry, fish, raw produce, and red meat, which have shorter shelf lives.