Buying Food at the Dented Can/Salvage Grocery Store (Vanity)

Freerepublic ^ | 3/30/2010 | Dallas59

[Dallas59]

Has anyone shopped at a Salvage Grocery store? They sell dented canned goods, expired/best if sold by foods, slow/no sell foods. I've heard you can save a bunch. Is it safe to buy food from there? Just asking...thanks.

[My hearts in London - Everett]

There’s a store in Maine that sells food like that also. I used to shop there, never had a problem with anything I bought. In fact, I used to find food items there that weren’t carried in the local grocery stores.

[autumnraine]

My mother always told me to look at the dent. If there are ANY signs of rust on the dent or if the edge of the dent is sharp to the touch (like you would be afraid of cutting yourself), don’t buy it. Botulism can get in the can if even a microscopic opening is there, not to mention rust in the food if it’s rusty.

I buy dented canned goods, but you just have to inspect them carefully.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

Depends on how bad the dents are and how long past the “sell by” date. Think botulism.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

My mom loves the bent food store.

[Billthedrill]

Normally yes, with the usual caveats. Be very careful not to purchase cans whose structural integrity has been compromised or that are swollen from internal pressure. “Sell-by” dates have factored in shelf time after purchase and so are pretty generous in most cases. I ate a five-year-old can of soup a couple of weeks ago while rotating my basement stash and it tasted just fine. YMMV.

[Sherman Logan]

A German chain called Aldi is expanding rapidly in USA.

Food prices WAY below those in other stores. Only house brands. Quality varies, but some is actually higher than some name brands.

Excellent way to save money.

http://www.aldifoods.com/index_ENU_HTML.htm

[Vigilanteman]

They vary. I grew up in a railroad town which got lots of food and canned goods passing through. The freight store was well-run. They pulled bulged dented cans and anything more than a reasonable time past the sell by date. Yes, we saved a bunch. Dad had seven kids to feed.

Just a few rules (which a well-run store should know):

1. Dented cans are fine, bulges are not.
   
2. Meat and dairy products are generally good for at least a week after the sell by date if properly refrigerated. Poultry is only good for about 3-4 days.
   
3. Canned goods can be good for YEARS after the sell by date. They do start to loose flavor, though.
   
4. Ditto for boxed goods, but a little less time because you have a bigger threat of oxidation and insect infestation. Some things, like instant ramen, are excepted, because they have so many preservatives even cockroaches won't touch them.
   
5. Find out when they normally get shipments delivered. Pickings are generally the best in the morning and on weekdays.

[GraceG]

We will be looking to shop here if things get worse.

[bigbob]

ALDI is great but just for clarity, they don’t sell the dented/outdated stuff.

[MsLady]

No I haven’t but, nothing wrong with dented cans. The dates are a bit of a concern unless your going to eat it up pretty quickly. Just check the tops of the cans and make sure they aren’t bulging. Push the top of the lid with your finger, if it looks like it’s bulging or pushes down, it’s gotten air in it and it’s not good. If you miss seeing the bulge in a can and you open it up the food will usually spew out of the can, don’t eat it.

[ClearCase_guy]

MSNBC headline:

"Haters at FreeRepublic tell budget conscious poster to get bent!"

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

Never heard of a problem from “dents”. If the cans are staged in the cardboard carton in which they were shipped, perhaps you would look at the interior of said carton to see if any leakage had occurred; to gauge how big a hit the carton took. I wouldn’t have any hesitation to buy a mildly dented can if I was looking for a deal.

Better than dented cans, however, I’ve been reading on some folks’ exploits using store coupons. It takes organization and organization time, to be sure. There are sites devoted to this; becoming aware of seasonal pricing patterns, buying in bulk and when it makes sense; exchanging coupons with folks in other parts of the country. This has evolved into a near-religion in some cases.

One fellow I’ve been discussing this with and who seems quite credible and well calculated claims he has gotten his monthly food bill for a family of four from $650 to $150. He believes his wife (who does the logistics) earns a tad over $20 an hour for her labor.

[GeronL]

It should be safe enough. The pickings are sometimes slim.

They are also “scratch and dent” grocers.

The Grocery Clearance Center in Dallas is one, I think there is one called Town Talk or something in Fort Worth.

http://www.groceryclearancecenter.com/site/page/pg126.html

[GeronL]

Several Aldi stores have opened in the DFW area, so why bother with the Scratch N Dent place?

[Hot Tabasco]

I’ve got a refrigerator and cupboard full of outdated stuff......Maybe I should hold a “kitchen sale”........

[Revolting cat!]

At my upscale supermarket I always head first to the Green Heat Section. That’s all I can afford there, the meats the butchers deeply discount for quick sale. (Just don’t tell ‘em what I call this section.)

[Revolting cat!]

Gren Heat = Green Meat

[TomGuy]

I ate a five-year-old can of soup a couple of weeks ago while rotating my basement stash and it tasted just fine.

I've been rotating stuff recently too. I ran across a few cans that were 2005-2009. Some cans didn't even have expiration dates and I knew from they labels (which have changes over the years) they were a few years old.

When I open them, I consider: (1) do they smell okay, (2) do they look okay.

Some foods have a higher acid content and would probably turn bad faster.

As others mentioned, look for rust or corrosion or leakage. Cans that have severely bulged ends (top/bottom) should be avoided. Botulism can cause that, IIRC.

[Revolting cat!]

Gren = Green