I was fired today,

Sorry they let you both go we need more people like you out there looking out for us...

 

wow i will check dates when i get on the road but this is verry comen trend in america folks, where i work now the manager does verry little to insure that the products are serched for dates but i always check for dates when i stock

 

OMG,i did a lot of business at flyin j's all across the US..now this is frighteneing.From now on i will be on red alert when buying merchandise from any truckstop. thanks broyher for the heads up info.

 

Imma hijack for a minute....well in a way.

I have worked in a grocery store and fast food. I have seen expired times and dates on food that is unbelievable. I think between the 2, fast food is the worst. Its been 10 years but let me see if I can recall some hold times:
1/4 hamburger patty in a heat well- 7 minutes (anything smaller is 5)
Hot dogs in hot water - 6 hours
lettuce on top of cooler- 4 hours
tomatoes on top of cooler- 2 hours
onions on top of cooler - 4 hours
pickles on top of cooler - 8 hours
Breaded fried chicken under heat lamp - 2 minutes
french fries after complete cooked - 1 minute
cole slaw after seperated into serving containers in fridge - 24 hours
salad in fridge - 24 hours
baked potato kept in warmer oven - 2 hours
biscuits kept in warmer oven- 2 hours
eggs in heat well- 10 minutes
sausage in heat well- 8 minutes
bacon under heat lamp - 2 hours
cheese on ice - 2 hours
toasted bread under warmer - 1 minute
grits and gravy in heat well - 4 hours
tea and coffee - 4 hours but I always made fresh at 2 hours

NOTE: Any thing deep fried (chicken, fries, onion rings, apple turnovers) are actually "precooked" and held....hold minutes on those are 30 minutes with the exception of the chicken which is immediately placed in the fridge til ready to be finished cooking. All of these are "reheated" for at least 30 seconds, Chicken will get 1 1/2 minutes. technically after the "precook" all food are considered done and edible and can be served right away. More than hold times...temperatures are as equally as important. I couldn't even start to go into temps, there are so many to remember.

I do know that the Wal-Mart delis are very strict in hold times....for the most part. I would rather get a hot plate there than eat at a fast food joint. I all too well know what is right....if it ain't hot then chances are, it ain't safe. I have been to truckstops and convenience stores and saw biscuits or sandwiches sitting on the side and it disgusted me.

About sell before dates: While working in the grocery store I had to do damages quite often. Yep, crappy job but it got me away from all those crazy complainers. When doing dairy, we had to actually empty the contents out (down the sink and in the trash) and send the containers back. I found out....it is safe to use any dairy product, 1 week past the "Sell by" date. I would NEVER buy a dairy product past the Sell by date but I keep that in mind when cleaning out my fridge....with the exception of milk.....I use expired milk in biscuits, but I make sure it is no more than 2 weeks past the Sell by date. Chips, snacks and the such....as long as sealed or properly closed can be eaten whenever. Old bread that is crusty, NOT moldy is good for toast and croutons.

Its crazy how people who deal with food are. I would never serve anything with bad times or dates....I use the policy, if I wouldn't eat it then they aren't gonna eat it.

Truckers, do be careful when eating off the buffet, grabbing a sammie or hot dog. REMEMBER: If it isn't hot then chances are it isn't safe.

I see FormerFlyinJ hasnt been around in a while, I'd love to know what the outcome was....

 

The last time i was out on the road in a truck,, we stopped at the wal-mart in Logan Utah and got their chicken from the deli,, wish we hadnt of,, it was fully cooked but it was chicken that was outdated,, it tasted awful it was rotten and then they soaked it in vineger to make it taste ok ,, this was probably chicken out of their own meat dept,, i wont by checken from wal-mart anymore from the deli.. also when you buy meat products in the store if the package is puffed up like it has air in it,, dont buy it, its bad meat already, only buy meat in tight packages that look vacum sealed so to speak,, i learned about the puffed up packages being bad meat in from a friend that worked a meat dept in a major grocery store, he also said they take old meat soak it in vinegar put it in new packaging to sell it.. yuck..how gross is that..

 

Thats grrrrrross! What does the vinegar do?

 

pickles and preserves it

 

It also helps cover up the rancid or bad meat taste, and helps stop bacterial decomposition
Yuck!!!!!

 

I would go online and see what you can find in your area to get a employment law lawyer to go after Flying J for treating you badly when you were trying to help the customers from getting sick.

In terms of things being left on the shelf longer than they should, there was a story in the Washington Post newspaper about five years ago where Food Lion was changing the wrapping of old meat and putting on a new plastic wrap and new expiration date. I asked a friend who works with Bi-Lo as a meat department attendant and he said, Yep ... that's done sometimes.

Also, about two years ago I was at an Exxon near the Maryland State Fairgrounds getting gas and then I got a Hershey's chocolate bar. I opened it and it had parts that were white and started to fall away as I was undoing the wrapper. I asked someone about that and she said the bar was old and you should not have eaten it.