Recently, TikTok user Emily (@emilyiscaffeinated) went viral after explaining how she found expired food in CVS stores and was able to turn it in for coupons.
Seeing the success of this idea, she then ventured to the dollar store in an attempt to find more expired products. As her luck would have it, she did, managing to find Slim Jims that expired in 2022.
However, what happened next surprised her, as she documented in a video with over 1.1 million views.
In her video, she goes to an employee and says, “I found some expired items. I didn’t know if you guys offered any sort of, like, reimbursement for customers finding expired…”
At this point, she is told that the store does not offer reimbursement for expired items, but if the item was purchased in the store, she can exchange it for a new one. When she says that she has not purchased them yet, the woman informs her that no such coupon program exists for this store.
However, this is where things take a turn.
“So the lady then goes over the intercom and calls up the other employee and she tells him to throw them out. And clearly we have video evidence that all this stuff is expired,” one of Emily’s friends says in her TikTok. “And this guy literally went and put it back on the shelves.”
In general, stores are allowed to sell expired products, though local and state governments may have laws to stop this from happening.
“The federal government does not require expiration labels on food products,” notes the law firm Rasmussen & Miner. “With the exception of baby food and baby formula, food products can be sold after the expiration date.”
These state laws can be specific about which products can be sold past their expiration date. For example, in the state of Georgia, “Milk, Eggs, Pre-packed sandwiches and other ready-to-eat products, Infant formula, Fresh shellfish (including oysters, clams and mussels), [and] Any potentially hazardous foods (meaning foods with time and/or temperature controls for the safety of the product) that are labeled ‘Keep Refrigerated’” cannot be sold past their sell-by date, says an official website from the State of Georgia.
@emilyiscaffeinated Expired Beef jerkey from 2022, is this allowed?! What store should i try next?! #coupons #cvs #dollarstore #expired ♬ original sound – Emily Reidy
In the comments section of Emily’s video, users shared their thoughts on this practice and the employee’s response to the expired food.
“I used to work at dollar tree, i can go ahead and tell you they do not care whatsoever if its expired,” said a user.
“My store this wouldn’t happen,” added another. “The only thing I’ve found as an employee expired at our dollar store is gummies and all the other stuff we catch and it goes straight to clearance if it’s still fine to eat.”
“As someone who works at dollar tree the amount of stuff expired is crazy,” claimed a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to Emily via email.
