Food - Drink
12 Signs You Should Avoid Grocery Store Products Before Buying Them
By SHEPARD BASSETT
Bread
Every grocery product has signs of poor quality to watch out for, and for bread, you should give your loaf a close look through the wrapping to check for mold. Mold spreads easily and can cause allergic reactions, so a thorough inspection will ensure that you're buying a fresh loaf with no signs of spoilage.
Produce
When selecting bagged greens, give the bag a shake and check to make sure there aren’t any slimy clumps of leaves inside that have started to turn. Greens should be vibrant and feel crisp, and rubbery or limp leaves mean that the veggies are dehydrated and won’t last long once you bring them home.
Meats
Keep an eye out for signs of spoilage on meat, such as grey or brown areas on the flesh. Beef should be red or dark pink, pork should be pink, and chicken should be yellowy-white, but don't worry about the center of your beef turning a bit brown after a day or so, which is simply a natural form of oxidation.
Fish
Fish doesn’t have as long of a shelf life as other foods, so it’s important to make sure you are getting the freshest fish possible from the store. You should smell fresh fish for any foul odors, though a mild saltiness or fishiness is normal, and the fish should also have vibrant flesh and not look slick or slimy.
Cans
Bloated or bulging cans of goods indicate that the food is decomposing and/or infected with bacteria, both unsavory processes that produce gasses that swell up the packaging. Dented cans should be inspected around the lid and seams for rust or leakage, another sign that you pass up the purchase.