UK supermarket chain caught selling meat up to 13 days past its use-by date

One UK supermarket chain has been caught selling meat up to a whole 13 days past its use-by date.

It was found that almost 50 items were being sold or displayed out of date at several of the branch's stores.

Welsh network S4C's Y Byd ar Bedwar programme uncovered the pretty harrowing - and stomach-churning if I may say so - discovery in a number of CK Foodstores.

Y Byd Ar Bedwar

Popular across the south and west area of Wales, with over 30 stores, the supermarket chain has since announced it will 'monitor and improve on its policies'.

Well, given that consuming meat that has gone off can lead to some pretty serious illnesses - one would hope CK Foodstores would do exactly that.

Part of the investigation took place over the course of almost a year in which nearly half of 24 stores visited were selling various products past their use-by date.

And the products in question?

A hunk of gammon that had been out of date for 13 days in Penclawdd, a bag of gammon misshapes in Narberth sold 10 days out-of-date and everyone's favourite - chicken drumsticks - which were two days out-of-date at the St Clears store.

Other dodgy meat was found in stores in locations including Birchgrove, Brynhyfryd, Burry Port, Cimla, Llandysul, St David's, and Waunarlwydd.

It's a good day to be a vegetarian indeed.

Y Byd Ar Bedwar

Back in 2020, the chain was made to fork out nearly £30,000 for selling out-of-date food, as well as displaying food which was found to be unsafe in two of its Swansea stores.

"A use-by date is about safety," explained Nathan Barnhouse, director of the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

He told the programme: "It may smell and look OK, but you won't necessarily see the bacteria that could potentially make you ill.

"That could lead to hospitalisation if you're elderly, young, or have an underlying health condition. And just because you may have eaten food past its use-by date in the past and been OK, you may not be so lucky in the future."

The FSA director explained it is an offence to sell something past its use-by date and 'shops shouldn't be doing this'.

A statement given to the programme from CK Foodstores read: "CK's values all of its customers and the communities in which it operates.

"In recognition of its commitment to its customers, CK will continue to monitor and improve on its policies and procedures to ensure that its customers continue to receive quality items at reasonable prices."

Tyla has reached out to CK Foodstores for further comment on the matter.