As of: February 26, 2024, 2:14 p.m
By: Svenja Jesse
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Anyone who buys packaged fruit and vegetables in a supermarket or discount store often asks themselves: How fresh is it?
A number on the packaging should help.
Hamm - Bought a pack of apples in the supermarket and realized at home that they were no longer that fresh.
With a simple trick this should no longer happen, at least if you believe the TikToker “The Branch Manager”.
The influencer from North Rhine-Westphalia, who says he works at the discounter Lidl, regularly gives shopping tips on his channel, reports wa.de.
Supermarket employee reveals: Number shows how fresh fruit and vegetables are
In one of his last videos he explains the LOT number, which can be found on all packaged products.
The four-digit number shows the packing date.
The first two digits indicated the calendar week, the last two the day in the calendar week on which the product was packaged.
The North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center is rather critical of this freshness tip.
“The LOT number is not consumer information, so we would not recommend that consumers use it,” says
wa.de
in response to a request .
The LOT number is not always a reliable indication of the freshness of fruit and vegetables.
Consumer advice centers are critical of the LOT number as proof of freshness
The LOT number, also known as the batch or lot number, is actually used to trace the product if defects are discovered during an inspection and a product is recalled.
The lot is determined by the producer, manufacturer, packer or seller of the food.
The ticket number consists of a combination of letters and/or numbers and often begins with the letter “L”.
The structure of the LOT number can therefore always have different meanings, such as place of manufacture, product, batch and product line.
In the case of the TikTok video, the lot number actually shows the calendar week and the batch.
Presumably the fruit or vegetables were packaged in the corresponding calendar week.
But that doesn't always have to be the case, according to the consumer advice center.
TikTok trick for fresh fruit: “Danger of unnecessary food waste”
For example, if German apples are sold in February, they have been stored in cold storage for around four months since harvest.
This applies to all storable foods, such as potatoes, onions, pears and carrots.
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For more sensitive packaged fruits and vegetables (e.g. strawberries or spinach) that cannot be stored, the LOT (as packaging date) can sometimes provide an indication of freshness.
However, there is a risk of unnecessary food waste if the latest goods are preferred when shopping and perfectly good vegetables and fruit remain on the shelves and, in the worst case, have to be thrown away.
In order to get the freshest fruit and vegetables possible from the supermarket or discounter, the consumer advice center recommends buying seasonally and regionally.
The seasonal fruit and vegetables are harvested when they are ripe in season and are transported to retailers and thus to consumers via short transport routes.
Bought spoiled food: Consumers have these rights
Anyone who has picked up spoiled fruit or vegetables while shopping at the supermarket or discount store doesn't have to bear the cost.
Consumers can complain about defective food directly in the store by presenting their receipt.
“The retailer must exchange the complained product or, if this is not possible, refund the money,” says the consumer advice center.
Alternatively, you can contact the manufacturer directly.
“Occasionally, manufacturers provide generous replacements as a gesture of goodwill, but there is no legal right to this,” says the consumer advice center.
If neither the sales staff nor the manufacturer react appropriately, the only way forward is to go through the responsible food inspection authority.
The authority can carry out appropriate official controls to check whether and to what extent there is a defect or whether other products are affected.
There was a major product recall for a dessert in which salmonella was found.
Six federal states are affected by the product recall.
There is currently a major recall of cookies from various brands.
The cookies, which were sold in almost all supermarkets and discount stores, can cause injuries.