François Mouton, Quebec: Some retailers change the labels of meat and poultry packages in order to convince consumers their products are fresher than they actually are, a Radio-Canada hidden-camera investigation has found.
CBC reported that one butcher in Quebec, who works at an IGA grocery store, spoke to Radio-Canada on the condition he was granted anonymity. He said that every morning, before the store opens, packaged meats are taken from the shelves and sometimes repackaged, complete with a new date.
“When the product is expired, when it’s three days old, we check to see if it looks OK and smells OK. Then we repackage it, and put it back on the shelf,” he said.
“In our IGA, we stretch it one more day. Depending on the store, depending on the managers, sometimes they stretch it by another three days.’
Another butcher who spoke to Radio-Canada said repackaging meats with a new date isn’t only done at IGA.
“To my knowledge, everyone is doing it … In all the stores I’ve worked at in my life, everyone did it,” he said, also speaking on the condition he remain anonymous.
Courtesy: CBC
