11 Tips Only Experts Know for Buying Food

We all know that before buying any food, you need to check its expiration date. However, practice shows that this is not enough: other not so obvious details must be taken into account.

Incrível.club studied the points that we should pay attention to whenever we go to the supermarket and we are going to share them in this article.

The way in which the expiration date is written on the label depends on how long the food can be stored. For example: products that can be stored for only 72 hours must have the time, day and month indicated. Those that are capable of being stored from 72 hours to 30 days must have the day, month and year indicated. And, finally, merchandise that takes months to expire should only have the month and year on its packaging.

If the final value of your purchase is very different from your calculations, do not hesitate to check the product prices on the labels and those shown on the purchase receipt. Sellers often forget to remove the incorrect values, and as a result, the item has a different price than what you saw.

You can often find merchandise on sale that expired the day before at deep discounts. Although that food was stored correctly and there is a possibility that it was not spoiled, it is forbidden to sell it after the expiration date.

Even if the food has not yet expired, you must take into account the storage conditions indicated on the package. Incorrectly preserved food may not be suitable for consumption, even if it is still within its expiration date. When buying a product that must be stored in a refrigerator, pay attention to its internal temperature.: It is displayed on the device’s digital screen or on a thermometer.

When buying goods with a short expiration date, you should consider where they were produced: the closer you are, the more likely you are to bring home fresh, quality food.

As we already know, the value of organic food is significantly higher than that of natural food. The word “organic” guarantees that genetically modified organisms, synthetic pesticides and other chemical substances were not used in its production and means that the manufacturer has a special certificate. Natural fruits and vegetables, in general, are also produced without all the agents mentioned above. In so many cases, the only difference is that the manufacturer still does not have the certificate that qualifies it.

When selling already cut or pre-seasoned foods, supermarkets use some tricks such as, instead of the production date of the food, put the date of its packaging. Naturally, they have an obligation to specify what they refer to on their labels, but people are often confused. Then, if you are in doubt about the expiry date of a food, ask the seller to show you the documents that prove its production date.

Processed frozen foods such as greens or hamburgers show that they have been thawed and refrozen on multiple occasions, so may not be good to eat.

The label and packaging must contain complete information, such as the nutritional value of the food and the expiration date, in addition to data about its producer. In addition, they must inform the legal address of the manufacturer and also the factory that processes them (if they are different). All dates must be clearly written: if the numbers look confusing, they have probably been modified.

Stores often offer deep discounts on merchandise that is near its expiration date (usually the same day or the next day). It’s okay to buy these products, but always take into account your storage conditions and consume them on the same day.

Another rule of thumb for cuts of meat, cheese and fish: its shelf life does not exceed 12 hours from the time of packaging. The same applies to all salads with mayonnaise.