How can we trust supermarkets if we get rid of sell-by dates on goods? - Yorkshire Post Letters

Why do we allow, unchallenged, the current move by the supermarkets to stop putting best before dates on such items as milk and yoghurt.

The reports in the papers say that we should use our smell to detect whether these items are ok to use.

Presumably, that means that we now have the right as consumers to take the top or cap off these products in the shop or store before we commit to paying for them.

This will of course cause chaos and extreme hygiene issues, but how else can we be sure that we are buying a product that will be consumable when we get it home, or how long it is likely to last.

It is a ‘cop out’ by those businesses. This action will also prevent the staff from knowing whether any of the products on the shelves have been on display longer than they should have been.

In addition, many people do not have a good sense of smell and covid has given us the experience of many having that sense affected for quite a period of time. Are the retailers ready for the health claims from those made ill by using deteriorated products due to lack of appropriate information.

Time for an urgent re-think?