Dosh dilemma – Gemma’s out-of-date Easter egg fiasco!

Gemma’s hosting the family’s annual Easter egg hunt this year and, with seven kids coming, that’s a lot of chocolate to stock up on.  

To avoid a last-minute scramble, she started buying the eggs a couple of weeks ago to spread the cost. 

But when she checked her stash this week to make sure she had enough for all the little sugar fiends, she spotted a major problem: one of the eggs had a best-before date of April 2023. Yep, two years out of date! 

Now Gemma’s annoyed about shelling out for a sub-standard egg and, seriously concerned about the possibility of upset tummies.  

So, she’s wondering: what are her rights? Should she report the retailer, and if so, who does she turn to?  

Well, Gemma, we’re not surprised you’re upset, selling anything that’s past its best-before date is bad enough, but chocolate and two years? That’s a whole new level of rogue retailing!  

Here’s what you should do: 

Return the product  

Take the out-of-date product back to the shop you bought it from and explain your complaint.  

But this is when things can get a bit complicated.  

Is the shop in the wrong? 

Food with a use-by date can’t legally be sold past that date, as it directly affects health and safety. But in Gemma’s case, the egg has a best-before date. 

This is when understanding food labelling is useful.  

Here’s what the different labels mean:  

• A use-by date relates to food safety. Once it’s passed, you don’t want to eat, cook or freeze it, as it could be dangerous. 

• A best-before date relates to quality not safety. After this date, the food’s still safe to eat, but it might not taste its best. 

• A sell-by date is for retailers to manage their stock and decide how long to display products on the shelves. 

So, technically speaking, as the Easter egg had a best-before date, the shop may not be legally required to give Gemma a refund, as it’s still safe to eat, it just might be a bit stale.  

But good retailers tend to have a customer-first policy and will still offer a refund or replacement if they’ve sold you something you’re not happy with.

Report the incident  

If you’re really unhappy with the product (especially if it’s past a use-by date), there are steps you can take to report the retailer. 

• Local authorities: contact your local food-safety team and they’ll investigate the issue. 

• Food Standards Agency (FSA): get in touch with the FSA for advice or to lodge a formal complaint. 

• Trading Standards: if you think the retailer has broken the law or treated you unfairly, you can report them to Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice consumer service. They’ll forward your complaint and offer you guidance. 

We hope this helps Gemma and that the out-of-date egg doesn’t spoil your Easter hunt.