According to a recent investigation conducted by consumer group Which?, online food shopping can be a risky endeavor when it comes to the shelf life of groceries. Sainsbury’s was found to have the shortest average time left before the use-by dates of their delivered items, based on the experiences of 12 mystery shoppers across the UK.
Which? tasked these mystery shoppers with placing online orders for 25 items with use-by dates from six major supermarkets to assess the freshness of the food upon delivery. The relatively short shelf life of some of these online-ordered groceries is a common concern, particularly when households are trying to manage their budgets while food prices continue to rise.
The shoppers ordered a total of 1,800 different items from Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose. After receiving their groceries, the researchers calculated the number of full hours remaining from the time of delivery until midnight on the use-by date of each item. They then determined the average shelf life for each supermarket.
The investigation revealed that there wasn’t a significant difference in the overall averages for each supermarket, with only a 38-hour gap between the longest and shortest average shelf life for perishable items. Sainsbury’s had the shortest average shelf life at 9.7 days. In one case, Sainsbury’s even sent a shopper a packet of chilled frankfurters that were already 11 days past their use-by date. However, Sainsbury’s also delivered the item with the longest shelf life: a stilton cheese that could be consumed within 37 days.
A spokesperson from Sainsbury’s defended the supermarket’s practices, stating that their online shoppers are trained to select the longest date and best available products for customers. They apologized for the few instances where this standard was not met and assured customers that they could return unsatisfactory products for a full refund.
On the other hand, online grocer Ocado emerged as the top performer in the investigation, boasting an average shelf life of 11.2 days. Even so, mystery shoppers using Ocado still received beef mince with just over two days left before its use-by date and a squashed triangle of brie that was still in date. Ocado highlighted their commitment to ensuring fresh foods for longer by guaranteeing a minimum life for their products.
Ele Clark, the Which? retail editor, emphasized that while online grocery shopping offers convenience, customers should not have to settle for items that are already out of date upon delivery. Shoppers should feel empowered to voice their dissatisfaction to drivers or contact the supermarket for a refund. It’s important to remember that consuming foods that have passed their use-by dates can be hazardous, so it’s not worth taking the risk, even if the food appears and smells okay.
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