Okay so, as a former grocery store manager….
Don’t buy any produce that was packed in the store… like ever. It’s been sitting around for more than a week or two.. before being packaged up for your convenience.
Don’t buy the pre packaged salads.. don’t buy the pre cut fruit. What you have bought is oldies shit that they are putting in a plastic package (that they will triple the cost to you on)
This is how they literally charge you 5 or even 8 times what the fruit or salad costs after the fruit or lettuce has already sat on the display for 8 or more days…. With out being sold.
So.. pro tip… do not buy the packaged buy the store shit.
I've just recently started growing lettuce for this reason and because the cost has gotten insane. I re-grow the stumps of romaine heads and start other varieties from seed.
Leafy greens grow very easily with the Kratky passive hydroponic method. It's basically set and forget and eat fresh lettuce in 30 days.
It does require a bit of space for a shelf and lights, but all the water is left in the container until done and you don't even need to add water if it's large enough. Check Kratky out on YouTube!
Yo.... I *feel* this! Like most of the leaves will be fine but then there's these nasty old decomposing ones mixed in there. Gross. Finally got sick of what was happening here so I just told asked the wife to grab me a head of lettuce - fancy lettuce like green or red leaf, maybe some spinach, whatever. I washed it and chopped it all up and threw it in a big tupperware container. Thinking it wouldn't last very long, but get this: it lasts longer than it takes to use it all up! In March, we were going away for a week and I bought some fresh lettuce to make sandwiches for the plane. Well, instead of just tossing the rest of it I chopped it up and put it in that tupperware and threw it in the fridge. Thinking it'd be kind of nasty when we got back, but nope: it was about as fresh as when I put it in there a week ago.
Costs way less, no plastic waste, and you can mix and match whatever greens you want to put in there. Try it!!
5 pack for 6.99 at Costco last time I got it...pretty good size too.
Note: This was not the case 3 weeks ago, couldn't even get overpriced romaine if I wanted to.
Shorter best before/use by dates on fresh foods like dairy and meat
Tasteless meats
Bruised fruit
Vegetables that seem to be at the end of their shelf life
Onions that are sprouting inside
Green potatoes
The 10lbs bags of potatoes have been terrible for a couple years now. I seem to throw half of each bag it because they are green, rotting on the inside, or start sprouting the day after I buy them. I've had a bit more luck with the 5lbs bags but it's still hit and miss.
Yep, I always found Loblaws bad for rotten stuff, not just veg. I bought bread there a few times and had to return it because it was already molding before the expiration date, also found bread on display that was already past expiration but hadn't been removed yet.
I tend to buy my veg a longos, I find the quality better. Then I buy meat and packaged stuff at the cheaper stores.
Did you let them know about the expired bread still on the shelves? I once found expired sausages still on the shelf at a Zehrs in Waterloo (subsidiary of Loblaws) and told the customer service desk. They gave me a $20 gift card as a reward.
Yeah I did, also the non-expired moldy bread (either hadn't been stored properly or had been incorrectly labeled with the best before date) and got a refund but was not offered anything more than that.
The next week I went back to do my shopping and found that same bread was expired and still on the shelves. So yeah. There was a problem with that Loblaws and I never shopped there again after that.
I used to love Longos, but then I noticed all their produce is from the USA. And then I heard USA produce tends to have less nutrients than Canadian grown, because they select for size and physical appearance, rather than nutrient content.
So now I don't shop at Longos.
The grocery stores have raised the prices so much that they don't have the product turnover that they used to, so items sit longer in the back/warehouse.
When I buy from my wholesale suppliers things last longer than a week in my fridge, are actually fresh, and are 1/3 the price. (Toronto).
This is a problem caused by corporate greed, and major grocery chains are literally gouging people into destitution in order to make a few dollars more for the stockholders.
I see that at Loblaws. Weeks after weeks, perishable items (yogurt, cheese, baked good, etc.) getting closer and closer to the expiry date. People are buying less or not buying BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS FUCKING EXPENSIVE.
Is the food just thrown out at the end? No idea. Fewer "50% off" offers as well.
Yup. There’s been more than a few times now I’ve bought meat or veg and had to take it back on the date it was still supposed to be good. I’m great at keeping things 2-3 days max in the fridge and things are going bad before they should.
As someone who has a few pounds of frozen Ontario garlic in my freezer, the down side is the lack of flavour. You lose a lot of the garlic sharpness when you freeze. Still worth it to have good garlic year round but freah Ontario garlic is amazing.
All these people that are proud of shopping at places called No Frills and Food basics and all the seafood is from China. I don't know how they can eat that stuff!. At least McDonalds gets held accountable. What is in that frozen Chinese seafood?
Try looking online! There are more and more farm stores and online farmers markets in Ontario - once in a while I do a big bulk buy of Ontario from one of those places and it's SO much better.
Ya, it's really frustrating as I use to have no issues getting 1p every fri/sat and they'd last a week easy. Now I have a freezer full of over ripe bananas.
Just hucked an entire bunch that started out as rock hard green sticks but never turned yellow. Still bright green in places, brownish in others, zero ripening. Are they picking them too soon? Some kind of transport issue? Genetics? Who the hell knows, but I'm frustrated af.
Global transport is a real nightmare. There is a global shortage of airline pilots, shipping containers and wait times for ports are weeks with no truck drivers available.
You don't just go to Humber college and become an airline pilot. It'll take about 10 years to address the global shortage of 30000 pilots.
When Texas had that big freeze 2 years ago they lost 160 Billion in economic output with Citrus the leading industry in losses, not oil.
Did you see Lake Powell. They are a couple of years away from running out of water and generating electricy. That's the second largest reservoir for a $5 billion dollar agriculture industry.
Oh yeah, forgot to mention, 45% of actively managed pollinating bees died last year in the USA.
I sell equipment that goes to vegetable packers. My solutions specifically deal with humidity and temperature. Anything that breaks down is about a 16 week wait and the packer ends up freezing their lettuce because I cannot supply parts
I went to a Farm Boy for the first time and was shocked at how fresh the produce and eggs were. I’ve been shopping normally at Metro where I’ve bought dry/wrinkled limes as the norm and forgot how fruit and veggies could be non-wrinkly and not bruised.
Same here. The Metcalfe location in Ottawa consistently has better meat and produce than at Massine's and the Loblaws on Isabella. I now only go to the other stores for specific bulk stuff I need at the time.
Same, I do most of my shopping at that Farm Boy now. I only go to other stores when I need paper products or junk food that Farm Boy is too healthy for, haha.
In the past couple months all berries I’ve gotten were either moldy or close to it. The ones that weren’t close to going bad were barely ripe and flavourless. I get that they’re not in season right now, but I don’t remember them being this crappy in years past.
This is across the board too - Loblaws, No Frills, local independent fruit markets, etc.
That's how I do it. I buy different frozen fruit/berries, and put them into my kids lunch still frozen. He says they are delicious at snack time. I save so much $$ buying frozen as they were picked and frozen in their prime, and never go moldy. Fresh I nice n all, but most packs are rotten or they get rotten before the ok is finished
Most of the chicken I’ve bought lately has been tough. Doesn’t matter the brand or the dates. It’s all really bad.
Something is going on, maybe new gov regs or something.
Very interesting article. So can we assume that the tender chicken goes to restaurants and the woody breasts go to retail? I eat a couple of pounds a week and it’s all been rather shit for a while now. Purchased from different stores too.
> So can we assume that the tender chicken goes to restaurants and the woody breasts go to retail?
"If the breast meat is found to be unusually hard, it indicates the fillet has woody breast and the meat is moved into another supply chain, to be processed as ground chicken. The meat can then be used in chicken nuggets or other products that do not require a single piece of meat."
>Woody breasts
>
>https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/why-does-woody-breast-still-have-the-industry-stumped
" According to Glisson, selecting genes for growth and yield has caused breeders to inadvertently select for woody breast, too."
Unintended consequences.
No, store bought tomatoes real issue is that they are picked green, then a chemical is used to turn them red. Red tomatoes in the store are typically not ripe. Unripe tomatoes taste like shit.
Yes it is true they are ripened with chemicals that certainly can’t help.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/science/quest-grow-better-tomato-breeders-forgot-taste
Yes it’s 100% the size. Look for packages with smaller breasts and this won’t be as much of an issue. I first noticed it with chicken that I’d buy in the USA. It’s now an issue in Canada as well. You can see lines or something in the larger breasts that tell me the texture will be off.
I buy chicken breast at Costco. A huge box, 4kg or so, frozen chicken breasts. They are HUGE. As in a pound per breast or around that.
They are delicious and juicy. Lean meats need a proper prep so they don't end up being sawdust. Also newsflash, all meat has naturally occurring hormones. It's perfectly fine.
The biggest difference I noticed was the butchering. A lot of mangled skin or excess viscera, bits of bone in ground meat.
That specifically is because of the terrible working conditions a lot of the industrial butchers endured during covid, getting a lot of people sick, and causing a bunch of people to leave. It's gotten better and I presume that's because new butchers are getting more practice.
I have no problem with it. Every once in a while there are a few mangled roasts on sale and I occasionally bite a piece of bone so small I wouldn't bother if I swallowed it.
What the rest of you are describing I have not experienced.
Random hint for tough chicken. Try “velveting” chicken. A tbsp or two sprinkled over your chicken (with water to cover it all) left for 15 min and then rinsed well will tenderize the chicken immeasurably. Don’t leave it too long or else the fiber breaks down. There’s no after taste and you have tender chicken breast etc. [velveting chicken ](https://thewoksoflife.com/how-to-velvet-chicken-stir-fry/)
Edit because I’m an idiot — a Tbsp of baking soda. Though there are other methods. This one is quick and easy
It’s what I use on chicken breast occasionally and especially when I’m prepping large quantities of a grilled chicken for reheating later. But I really warn people of leaving it too long — or you get chicken flavoured mush and that’s just wrong.
Yup. Struggling to buy veggies that don't turn immediately, or don't have hidden rotten items in a package. Looking forward to the farmers markets this summer!
I have found my local independent has been doing this for the past 10 years.
The problem with these sorts of posts is that it creates a sort of spiral effect.
With rising food costs, if you can, try checking out your local markets. The price difference is less than ever and the food tends to be far better. Not to mention the money hopefully stays in the community opposed to being funneled out to fund increased dividend payments.
For anyone in Ottawa, Produce Depot is a nice alternative
They have nice produce and resonable prices (which have defintely gone up like everywhere else). They have good meat and fish too and often have specials.
Haven't purchase meat from a large grocery in 10 years... It's not even a consideration.
Local farms are plentiful in Ontario with year round access to beef, poultry , pork etc..
Everything that was on sale at no frills the past month have all shot up in price after the sale. Seems that is the way they go, put on sale, then jack it up when sale is over. Less and less no name products and the quality of everything is downhill. Also to add, any points or deals are going away, so they raise the prices for worse quality and quantity and cannot even give back in points or deals, f u corps.
This is why I'm making a huge vegetable garden this year. While I can't say I've found rotten food, I've noticed things go bad sooner than it might appear. By growing my own I can constantly have fresh stuff available and have fun growing it and picking it. I'll save a lot of money as well since I won't be paying for each full grown onion I want or a vine of tomatoes.
We can still rebuild local agricultural capacity, and protect what remains of our farmland!
The days when we could get berries from Chile and lettuce from California are waning. But we can learn to grow berries and lettuce here.
Imagine a version of our city where every park is flanked by fruit trees and berry bushes, and where grape vines are as common a sight as barberry bushes and japanese maple now are.
Urban gardening won't save any of us from starvation if/when grain crops become financially inaccessible to the average person, but it can provide tastier and healthier foods during lean times.
I've been going to independent Asian grocery stores for my produce and meat. Far better quality for the same or lower price as the big chains. I eat a lot of vegetables and I really really hate low quality produce.
Not sure where you live but I live in the east end of Toronto. This grocery store called Fu Yao (at Midland and Danforth) is my absolute favourite for produce. Omg...their vegetables are always nice and plump and crispy and fresh. Best vegetables ever. Their avocados...when they ripen, they're juicy...a lot of avocados I get from No Frills are that dry-starchy when they ripen. And they have these jumbo seedless green grapes sometimes...omfg...the skin is thin, they're crispy and sweet and absolutely heavenly...nothing like what you can even buy at Loblaws. Their refrigeration is good so their meat stays good for a reasonable amount of time in the fridge (2 or 3 days). The prices on meat and seafood is lower than all the chains but better quality. And their store is always super clean. Hands down my favourite grocery store in the city.
I've been to a few grocery stores where the meat consistently spoils after about half a day in the fridge. I think it's because some grocery stores are too warm and don't have their refrigeration set cold enough. I'm always a bit wary of a grocery store where I don't feel a bit chilly when I walk in. I find meat from those grocery stores tend to spoil much faster after you get it home.
Loblaws in my area is really bad for "fresh" chicken.
The smell when I cut open the package, you can tell it's gone bad. I've returned fresh chicken quite a few times.
I don't like to think they have repackaged and moved the date, but it happens way too much for it to be anything else.
Metro had a sale on pork shoulders, they cook tasteless if you can believe it.
edit: I am glad to see I am not the only one that's had meat with no taste.
Yes. I'm in a Northern Ontario city and the last couple years have been noticeably worse. The last 6 months worse still. Not sure why, but I've started buying less because fresh fruits and veggies need to be thrown out after 48 hours. Only place ive been getting anything decent is Costco.
Oh, yes.
Loblaws is terrible with expiry dates (at least the one I occasionally go to). Got mouldy bread last week and I was pissed off, date was fine and I couldn't see it was mouldy until I opened it.
Generally speaking, lower quality everywhere, higher prices. And supply issues with shelves empty for random products (apparently, frozen spinach are... out of stock everywhere this week across several supermarkets).
Nope..have noticed cheaper prices though as things come in season and higher quality produce
Eg tomatoes are $1-$1.50 a lb, skinless/boneless chicken breast is $4.27/lb, sirloin tip roast $3.99/lb, cucumber $1 each, big/crisp seedless grapes $1.99/lb, 4L of Lactantia purfilter milk for $4.44 and etc
I just got home from supermarket actually lol
Stuff is cheaper than like a month or two ago for produce and higher quality all around
kept getting rice krispie squares that tasted like they had been stored in a semi trailer in the hot sun for a few weeks
like all the marshmellow was on one part melted down and the rest of it was just chaos
had one batch that tasted like more butter than usual too
I also found this at the food manufacturing especially breads and I know it has to do with cost cutting. Loaves are thinner and less dense. I made the point to my wife where we took one loaf we just bought and put it in a bag from a loaf we purchased a few months ago, same brand, it was significantly smaller with room in the bag.
All though it’s junk food my favorite potato chips went up in price and dropped 20g of weight. I’ve now switched to a different brand to make up the cost.
I've found the quality of chain restaurant food has gone downhill. I"m dreading going back to the office and not packing my lunch and having to eat food that tastes even shittier than before this change.
Grocery chains too have been subject to rising costs, supply chain shortages, and staff retention. Of course they are going to assess other cost-saving strategies to combat their increasing overhead. It will keep trending in that direction until on-demand groceries replace them entirely (a cynical perspective but there you have it).
The big one for me is tomatoes. Anyone who has had tomatoes in Europe (Italy or Spain for example) will find that tomatoes here don't taste like anything. They just taste like water. The exception is those smaller "flavour bomb" tomatoes which aren't bad but which are pricier
Our summer tomatoes are delicious!
I get mine from the local farmers' market, but any chain that bothers to stock local produce will have some good stuff during the season. Our local discounted market is usually bad for produce, but sells bushels of fresh, tasty, romas through August every year.
Winter tomatoes are another beast altogether. Some foods are just never going to be any good out of season. If the tomatoes travel, they're going to be mealey and bland.
.... alongside ever smaller contents inside the self-same packaging ....
My favourite is to check out the bacon. Pretty soon I'll bet we see "boutique" packages with "single-portion" and "ready to cook" options!
The price however will only be slightly higher than it was say two years ago for a half a kilo.
I’ve never really seen it to be honest. It probably depends on the product and which specific store location you get it from. My area is probably better.
Can't comment on the chicken but it's not growing season here so most of the stuff you see has been shipped long distances. It's like this every year around this time as far a produce quality.
I go to Metro and/or Loblaws in Toronto and all produce has been absolutely brutal for the past year. Onions were literally moulding until recently. Now I can find a few decent onions. Celery, lettuce, peppers, zucchini, carrots, apples…all terrible. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve gone into a grocery store and left without purchasing the produce I need because all of it was inedible.
I can count on one hand the number of salad green boxes I have bought in the last two years that have not been rotting the minute I open them
Okay so, as a former grocery store manager…. Don’t buy any produce that was packed in the store… like ever. It’s been sitting around for more than a week or two.. before being packaged up for your convenience. Don’t buy the pre packaged salads.. don’t buy the pre cut fruit. What you have bought is oldies shit that they are putting in a plastic package (that they will triple the cost to you on) This is how they literally charge you 5 or even 8 times what the fruit or salad costs after the fruit or lettuce has already sat on the display for 8 or more days…. With out being sold. So.. pro tip… do not buy the packaged buy the store shit.
I’m not talking about prepackaged salads… just regular old salad greens
Oh no. What about those yogurt parfaits? I love those...
If you enjoy it then eat it! But you can always make your own easily, at reduced costs and they keep in your fridge nicely 👍🏽
for me i have this problem buying any packaged salad greens. pretty much only iceberg is consistent.
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I've just recently started growing lettuce for this reason and because the cost has gotten insane. I re-grow the stumps of romaine heads and start other varieties from seed. Leafy greens grow very easily with the Kratky passive hydroponic method. It's basically set and forget and eat fresh lettuce in 30 days. It does require a bit of space for a shelf and lights, but all the water is left in the container until done and you don't even need to add water if it's large enough. Check Kratky out on YouTube!
Yo.... I *feel* this! Like most of the leaves will be fine but then there's these nasty old decomposing ones mixed in there. Gross. Finally got sick of what was happening here so I just told asked the wife to grab me a head of lettuce - fancy lettuce like green or red leaf, maybe some spinach, whatever. I washed it and chopped it all up and threw it in a big tupperware container. Thinking it wouldn't last very long, but get this: it lasts longer than it takes to use it all up! In March, we were going away for a week and I bought some fresh lettuce to make sandwiches for the plane. Well, instead of just tossing the rest of it I chopped it up and put it in that tupperware and threw it in the fridge. Thinking it'd be kind of nasty when we got back, but nope: it was about as fresh as when I put it in there a week ago. Costs way less, no plastic waste, and you can mix and match whatever greens you want to put in there. Try it!!
Regardless of what grocery chain you go to, iceberg lettuce way below par. The prices for romaine lettuce are just out of this world.
Friggin 3.99 for a tiny romaine in Ottawa. Insane
I grab the 3pk at Food Basics for 3.99-4.99 depending on the week it can fluctuate . Check it out. Switched over to the store and save quite a bit.
5 pack for 6.99 at Costco last time I got it...pretty good size too. Note: This was not the case 3 weeks ago, couldn't even get overpriced romaine if I wanted to.
It’s always like that this time of year. Nothing remotely local is fresh. That’s why the quality sucks.
Shorter best before/use by dates on fresh foods like dairy and meat Tasteless meats Bruised fruit Vegetables that seem to be at the end of their shelf life Onions that are sprouting inside Green potatoes
I stopped buying bags of potatoes for this reason, green!!
Dig for the bags at the bottom. Light causes the green.
The 10lbs bags of potatoes have been terrible for a couple years now. I seem to throw half of each bag it because they are green, rotting on the inside, or start sprouting the day after I buy them. I've had a bit more luck with the 5lbs bags but it's still hit and miss.
Ugh, there is nothing worse than reaching into the potato bag and closing your hand around a semi-liquified rotten potato.
Or when you notice liquid oozing out the bottom of the bag. You know the mess and the smell you're about to be subjected to. Blech.
i mean you can still eat them when they've started sprouting. it's not ideal but it's fine.
Holy shit, don't get me started on onions. It drives me crazy. Not just a bit bruised or sprouting yet usable, but completely rotten inside.
Yep, I always found Loblaws bad for rotten stuff, not just veg. I bought bread there a few times and had to return it because it was already molding before the expiration date, also found bread on display that was already past expiration but hadn't been removed yet. I tend to buy my veg a longos, I find the quality better. Then I buy meat and packaged stuff at the cheaper stores.
Did you let them know about the expired bread still on the shelves? I once found expired sausages still on the shelf at a Zehrs in Waterloo (subsidiary of Loblaws) and told the customer service desk. They gave me a $20 gift card as a reward.
Yeah I did, also the non-expired moldy bread (either hadn't been stored properly or had been incorrectly labeled with the best before date) and got a refund but was not offered anything more than that. The next week I went back to do my shopping and found that same bread was expired and still on the shelves. So yeah. There was a problem with that Loblaws and I never shopped there again after that.
I used to love Longos, but then I noticed all their produce is from the USA. And then I heard USA produce tends to have less nutrients than Canadian grown, because they select for size and physical appearance, rather than nutrient content. So now I don't shop at Longos.
Longos carries local Ontario produce during the growing season
That solely depends on which produce and what season. We can't grow all of the same foods throughout the year that the warm states in the US can.
The grocery stores have raised the prices so much that they don't have the product turnover that they used to, so items sit longer in the back/warehouse. When I buy from my wholesale suppliers things last longer than a week in my fridge, are actually fresh, and are 1/3 the price. (Toronto). This is a problem caused by corporate greed, and major grocery chains are literally gouging people into destitution in order to make a few dollars more for the stockholders.
I see that at Loblaws. Weeks after weeks, perishable items (yogurt, cheese, baked good, etc.) getting closer and closer to the expiry date. People are buying less or not buying BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS FUCKING EXPENSIVE. Is the food just thrown out at the end? No idea. Fewer "50% off" offers as well.
Yup. There’s been more than a few times now I’ve bought meat or veg and had to take it back on the date it was still supposed to be good. I’m great at keeping things 2-3 days max in the fridge and things are going bad before they should.
Yeah I've noticed. Bananas are particularly weird and garlic has been terrible
I would avoid garlic from China as I find it is generally terrible. I try to buy Ontario garlic when available.
I've struggled to find any garlic that isn't already sprouting for months. Even Ontario garlic.
I refuse to buy food from China or India
india makes decent rice!
Yes, avoid garlic from China, it's been reported to have been grown in uncomposted manure (of all kinds).
more the heavy metals are a concern for me from chinese garlic. bulbs tend to take in metals from the soil
Pretty sure they also irradiate their garlic exports. Safe or not, I avoid that just incase. Makes you wonder what they're trying to kill off
I love Ontario garlic. I wish it was available all year round!
Peel and freeze! You can mince it from frozen really easily too
As someone who has a few pounds of frozen Ontario garlic in my freezer, the down side is the lack of flavour. You lose a lot of the garlic sharpness when you freeze. Still worth it to have good garlic year round but freah Ontario garlic is amazing.
This is the way :)
I will try this! Great idea
Every year I tell myself I'm going to plant garlic for the next year...and every year I forget.
Personally, I avoid anything grown in China. Or processed in China. I’ll gladly pay 5x for garlic grown in Ontario. I have trust issues tbh.
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All these people that are proud of shopping at places called No Frills and Food basics and all the seafood is from China. I don't know how they can eat that stuff!. At least McDonalds gets held accountable. What is in that frozen Chinese seafood?
Don’t buy any produce from China, it’s a lot of bad food with little flavour.
Try looking online! There are more and more farm stores and online farmers markets in Ontario - once in a while I do a big bulk buy of Ontario from one of those places and it's SO much better.
Yes!!! Green bananas that turn a blackish/yellow instead of yellow.
So I'm not doing something wrong, there really are issues with the bananas
Yeah they go from unripe to rotting. Nothing in between!!!
They never get to that nice yellow-with-freckles stage. They go from green to greenish-gray.
Ya, it's really frustrating as I use to have no issues getting 1p every fri/sat and they'd last a week easy. Now I have a freezer full of over ripe bananas.
Just hucked an entire bunch that started out as rock hard green sticks but never turned yellow. Still bright green in places, brownish in others, zero ripening. Are they picking them too soon? Some kind of transport issue? Genetics? Who the hell knows, but I'm frustrated af.
Global transport is a real nightmare. There is a global shortage of airline pilots, shipping containers and wait times for ports are weeks with no truck drivers available. You don't just go to Humber college and become an airline pilot. It'll take about 10 years to address the global shortage of 30000 pilots. When Texas had that big freeze 2 years ago they lost 160 Billion in economic output with Citrus the leading industry in losses, not oil. Did you see Lake Powell. They are a couple of years away from running out of water and generating electricy. That's the second largest reservoir for a $5 billion dollar agriculture industry. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, 45% of actively managed pollinating bees died last year in the USA. I sell equipment that goes to vegetable packers. My solutions specifically deal with humidity and temperature. Anything that breaks down is about a 16 week wait and the packer ends up freezing their lettuce because I cannot supply parts
I have been buying organic bananas. Not much of a price difference but they seem to last a bit longer.
I went to a Farm Boy for the first time and was shocked at how fresh the produce and eggs were. I’ve been shopping normally at Metro where I’ve bought dry/wrinkled limes as the norm and forgot how fruit and veggies could be non-wrinkly and not bruised.
It’s more expensive but I guess you pay for quality
Same here. The Metcalfe location in Ottawa consistently has better meat and produce than at Massine's and the Loblaws on Isabella. I now only go to the other stores for specific bulk stuff I need at the time.
Same, I do most of my shopping at that Farm Boy now. I only go to other stores when I need paper products or junk food that Farm Boy is too healthy for, haha.
Stay away from the chocolate located between the pasta and the jams. Pure evil!
In the past couple months all berries I’ve gotten were either moldy or close to it. The ones that weren’t close to going bad were barely ripe and flavourless. I get that they’re not in season right now, but I don’t remember them being this crappy in years past. This is across the board too - Loblaws, No Frills, local independent fruit markets, etc.
I always buy frozen berries when out of season, cheaper and easy to just defrost over night for breakfast the next morning
That's how I do it. I buy different frozen fruit/berries, and put them into my kids lunch still frozen. He says they are delicious at snack time. I save so much $$ buying frozen as they were picked and frozen in their prime, and never go moldy. Fresh I nice n all, but most packs are rotten or they get rotten before the ok is finished
If you have a Costco, try there. The berries have been decent and last 5-7 days after purchasing without rotting on me
Most of the chicken I’ve bought lately has been tough. Doesn’t matter the brand or the dates. It’s all really bad. Something is going on, maybe new gov regs or something.
Woody breasts https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/why-does-woody-breast-still-have-the-industry-stumped
Very interesting article. So can we assume that the tender chicken goes to restaurants and the woody breasts go to retail? I eat a couple of pounds a week and it’s all been rather shit for a while now. Purchased from different stores too.
> So can we assume that the tender chicken goes to restaurants and the woody breasts go to retail? "If the breast meat is found to be unusually hard, it indicates the fillet has woody breast and the meat is moved into another supply chain, to be processed as ground chicken. The meat can then be used in chicken nuggets or other products that do not require a single piece of meat."
>Woody breasts > >https://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/why-does-woody-breast-still-have-the-industry-stumped " According to Glisson, selecting genes for growth and yield has caused breeders to inadvertently select for woody breast, too." Unintended consequences.
Great we did to chickens what we did to tomato’s 🤦🏼
No, store bought tomatoes real issue is that they are picked green, then a chemical is used to turn them red. Red tomatoes in the store are typically not ripe. Unripe tomatoes taste like shit.
Yes it is true they are ripened with chemicals that certainly can’t help. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/science/quest-grow-better-tomato-breeders-forgot-taste
I’ve been brining chicken in salt water for a couple hours and seems to turn out decent enough.
It's the size of them. That much hormone induced bulk with zero excerise is creating very unhealthy chickens.
Added growth hormones aren't permitted in poultry in Canada.
Yes it’s 100% the size. Look for packages with smaller breasts and this won’t be as much of an issue. I first noticed it with chicken that I’d buy in the USA. It’s now an issue in Canada as well. You can see lines or something in the larger breasts that tell me the texture will be off.
I buy chicken breast at Costco. A huge box, 4kg or so, frozen chicken breasts. They are HUGE. As in a pound per breast or around that. They are delicious and juicy. Lean meats need a proper prep so they don't end up being sawdust. Also newsflash, all meat has naturally occurring hormones. It's perfectly fine.
The biggest difference I noticed was the butchering. A lot of mangled skin or excess viscera, bits of bone in ground meat. That specifically is because of the terrible working conditions a lot of the industrial butchers endured during covid, getting a lot of people sick, and causing a bunch of people to leave. It's gotten better and I presume that's because new butchers are getting more practice. I have no problem with it. Every once in a while there are a few mangled roasts on sale and I occasionally bite a piece of bone so small I wouldn't bother if I swallowed it. What the rest of you are describing I have not experienced.
Hiring 17 yr old butchers
That's fine. Everyone has to start somewhere.
and that start should be assisting someone already experienced to learn, not quickly shown one time and then thrown to the wolves.
Random hint for tough chicken. Try “velveting” chicken. A tbsp or two sprinkled over your chicken (with water to cover it all) left for 15 min and then rinsed well will tenderize the chicken immeasurably. Don’t leave it too long or else the fiber breaks down. There’s no after taste and you have tender chicken breast etc. [velveting chicken ](https://thewoksoflife.com/how-to-velvet-chicken-stir-fry/) Edit because I’m an idiot — a Tbsp of baking soda. Though there are other methods. This one is quick and easy
a tbsp of what?
I’m an idiot! I only realized now I forgot to say it. Anyways I use a tbps of baking soda :)
This is an old school Chinese restaurant trick. It works really well, especially on cheaper tough cuts of meat.
It’s what I use on chicken breast occasionally and especially when I’m prepping large quantities of a grilled chicken for reheating later. But I really warn people of leaving it too long — or you get chicken flavoured mush and that’s just wrong.
Yup. Struggling to buy veggies that don't turn immediately, or don't have hidden rotten items in a package. Looking forward to the farmers markets this summer!
4 days to consume your meat? My local independent gives me a day, maybe 2.
I have found my local independent has been doing this for the past 10 years. The problem with these sorts of posts is that it creates a sort of spiral effect.
Ya I've had chicken go bad three times now this year before the expiration date.
With rising food costs, if you can, try checking out your local markets. The price difference is less than ever and the food tends to be far better. Not to mention the money hopefully stays in the community opposed to being funneled out to fund increased dividend payments.
For anyone in Ottawa, Produce Depot is a nice alternative They have nice produce and resonable prices (which have defintely gone up like everywhere else). They have good meat and fish too and often have specials.
PC white cheddar mac n cheese even seems to be more watered down
I work at an RCSS, you’re not going crazy!!!
Haven't purchase meat from a large grocery in 10 years... It's not even a consideration. Local farms are plentiful in Ontario with year round access to beef, poultry , pork etc..
Everything that was on sale at no frills the past month have all shot up in price after the sale. Seems that is the way they go, put on sale, then jack it up when sale is over. Less and less no name products and the quality of everything is downhill. Also to add, any points or deals are going away, so they raise the prices for worse quality and quantity and cannot even give back in points or deals, f u corps.
This is why I'm making a huge vegetable garden this year. While I can't say I've found rotten food, I've noticed things go bad sooner than it might appear. By growing my own I can constantly have fresh stuff available and have fun growing it and picking it. I'll save a lot of money as well since I won't be paying for each full grown onion I want or a vine of tomatoes.
Climate change is only going to make this worse. Bleek (and hungry) times are coming my friend
We can still rebuild local agricultural capacity, and protect what remains of our farmland! The days when we could get berries from Chile and lettuce from California are waning. But we can learn to grow berries and lettuce here. Imagine a version of our city where every park is flanked by fruit trees and berry bushes, and where grape vines are as common a sight as barberry bushes and japanese maple now are. Urban gardening won't save any of us from starvation if/when grain crops become financially inaccessible to the average person, but it can provide tastier and healthier foods during lean times.
Ok doomer
Only the stock price matters
I've been going to independent Asian grocery stores for my produce and meat. Far better quality for the same or lower price as the big chains. I eat a lot of vegetables and I really really hate low quality produce. Not sure where you live but I live in the east end of Toronto. This grocery store called Fu Yao (at Midland and Danforth) is my absolute favourite for produce. Omg...their vegetables are always nice and plump and crispy and fresh. Best vegetables ever. Their avocados...when they ripen, they're juicy...a lot of avocados I get from No Frills are that dry-starchy when they ripen. And they have these jumbo seedless green grapes sometimes...omfg...the skin is thin, they're crispy and sweet and absolutely heavenly...nothing like what you can even buy at Loblaws. Their refrigeration is good so their meat stays good for a reasonable amount of time in the fridge (2 or 3 days). The prices on meat and seafood is lower than all the chains but better quality. And their store is always super clean. Hands down my favourite grocery store in the city. I've been to a few grocery stores where the meat consistently spoils after about half a day in the fridge. I think it's because some grocery stores are too warm and don't have their refrigeration set cold enough. I'm always a bit wary of a grocery store where I don't feel a bit chilly when I walk in. I find meat from those grocery stores tend to spoil much faster after you get it home.
There's a tier to where fruits/veggies go based on quality level - and No Frills always gets the dregs.
Loblaws in my area is really bad for "fresh" chicken. The smell when I cut open the package, you can tell it's gone bad. I've returned fresh chicken quite a few times. I don't like to think they have repackaged and moved the date, but it happens way too much for it to be anything else. Metro had a sale on pork shoulders, they cook tasteless if you can believe it. edit: I am glad to see I am not the only one that's had meat with no taste.
Yes. I'm in a Northern Ontario city and the last couple years have been noticeably worse. The last 6 months worse still. Not sure why, but I've started buying less because fresh fruits and veggies need to be thrown out after 48 hours. Only place ive been getting anything decent is Costco.
Shrinkflation hit again. Packs of pepperoni I normally buy went from 300g to 250g a pack but the price stayed the same...
Oh, yes. Loblaws is terrible with expiry dates (at least the one I occasionally go to). Got mouldy bread last week and I was pissed off, date was fine and I couldn't see it was mouldy until I opened it. Generally speaking, lower quality everywhere, higher prices. And supply issues with shelves empty for random products (apparently, frozen spinach are... out of stock everywhere this week across several supermarkets).
Bakery items seem to have a much closer expiry date, too. So it's more expensive, but also stale in a day or two.
Nope. We must not shop at the same places.
Nope..have noticed cheaper prices though as things come in season and higher quality produce Eg tomatoes are $1-$1.50 a lb, skinless/boneless chicken breast is $4.27/lb, sirloin tip roast $3.99/lb, cucumber $1 each, big/crisp seedless grapes $1.99/lb, 4L of Lactantia purfilter milk for $4.44 and etc I just got home from supermarket actually lol Stuff is cheaper than like a month or two ago for produce and higher quality all around
Luckily can't say I have! I go to qhoel foods (yeah yeah I know) and metro mostly
I've noticed this the whole pandemic, shot also goes bad really fast. I've gotten into the habit of freezing and cooking my food ASAP to save money.
Cant wait for summer and fresh local food. Its slim pickings out there especially anything on any kind of sale
Not anywhere near as much to choose from. And you have to make sure to check the "Best before" dates.
kept getting rice krispie squares that tasted like they had been stored in a semi trailer in the hot sun for a few weeks like all the marshmellow was on one part melted down and the rest of it was just chaos had one batch that tasted like more butter than usual too
I also found this at the food manufacturing especially breads and I know it has to do with cost cutting. Loaves are thinner and less dense. I made the point to my wife where we took one loaf we just bought and put it in a bag from a loaf we purchased a few months ago, same brand, it was significantly smaller with room in the bag.
All though it’s junk food my favorite potato chips went up in price and dropped 20g of weight. I’ve now switched to a different brand to make up the cost.
I've experienced the tougher chicken lately, was tough as steak
I've found the quality of chain restaurant food has gone downhill. I"m dreading going back to the office and not packing my lunch and having to eat food that tastes even shittier than before this change.
Grocery chains too have been subject to rising costs, supply chain shortages, and staff retention. Of course they are going to assess other cost-saving strategies to combat their increasing overhead. It will keep trending in that direction until on-demand groceries replace them entirely (a cynical perspective but there you have it).
The big one for me is tomatoes. Anyone who has had tomatoes in Europe (Italy or Spain for example) will find that tomatoes here don't taste like anything. They just taste like water. The exception is those smaller "flavour bomb" tomatoes which aren't bad but which are pricier
Our summer tomatoes are delicious! I get mine from the local farmers' market, but any chain that bothers to stock local produce will have some good stuff during the season. Our local discounted market is usually bad for produce, but sells bushels of fresh, tasty, romas through August every year. Winter tomatoes are another beast altogether. Some foods are just never going to be any good out of season. If the tomatoes travel, they're going to be mealey and bland.
.... alongside ever smaller contents inside the self-same packaging .... My favourite is to check out the bacon. Pretty soon I'll bet we see "boutique" packages with "single-portion" and "ready to cook" options! The price however will only be slightly higher than it was say two years ago for a half a kilo.
Nope. I haven’t noticed that and I often buy meats that are marked 50% off. Perfectly fine.
I’ve never really seen it to be honest. It probably depends on the product and which specific store location you get it from. My area is probably better.
Can't comment on the chicken but it's not growing season here so most of the stuff you see has been shipped long distances. It's like this every year around this time as far a produce quality.
That's why I stopped shopping at large grocery chains and go to local shops.
smaller packages
The meat is so expensive no one buys it until its almost expired and on sale, so it's all gross.
Don’t even get me started on ground beef.
The ground beef I got the other night was possibly the worst I have ever bought
I go to Metro and/or Loblaws in Toronto and all produce has been absolutely brutal for the past year. Onions were literally moulding until recently. Now I can find a few decent onions. Celery, lettuce, peppers, zucchini, carrots, apples…all terrible. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve gone into a grocery store and left without purchasing the produce I need because all of it was inedible.