Discounted Food Items Near Expiry Date

In Japan, it's easy to find near expiry food items being heavily discounted in supermarket. I bought many food stuffs on discount there and I don't mind the expiry date. To me, as long as the colour and taste remain the same, it is safe to eat although it is over the expiry date. (Well, at least this is what my friend in food industry told me)

The items near expiry date I bought include meat, bento, bread, fish, dairy products and even tofu! Sometimes, I would even eat the tofu one or two days after the expiry date, as long as the tofu didn't smell bad.

I was staying alone in Japan then, so I had difficulty to finish up the salt, sugar, miso paste before the expiry date, I continued to consume all the items after the expiry date. I think it is absurd to set a expiry date on salt though, sugar does become less sweet after awhile (my feeling), while miso paste is a fermented stuff, it couldn't get any worse, right? I did dispose my cooking oil after I realised it's over the expiry date, I was worried about the oil getting rancid.

For meat products, the supermarket would start to offer discount 2 days before the expiry date. Hmmm, I wonder how they determined the expiry date of meat!

pork 50% discount (半額=50% discount)

For bento in supermarket, it will be in offer a few hours after it was displayed on the shelf. Sometimes, when I was in supermarket during 7pm, I would buy the discounted bento. Normally, throng of housewives who didn't want to cook will go to supermarket on 7pm to grab the discounted dishes. A friend told me that there's one time that she was waiting for the supermarket staff to stick the discount sticker on the asparagus, so she walked round and round the supermarket because she was shy to wait nearby, but a obasan just waited next to the shelf and by the time the staff pasted the discount sticker on the asparagus, my friend lose to the obasan, the obasan just grabbed all the discounted asparagus. We laughed so hard when we talked about that. 

I bought discounted sushi, crab meat, fried fish or fried chicken for my dinner. It was easy, I just cooked the rice. 

Assorted Sushi (3割引=30% discount)

fried fish and chicken on discount

In Malaysia, it's difficult to find near expiry processed food stuffs on discount. I worked in a supermarket before, the supermarket would return all the expired stuffs to the supplier. So, I was really surprised that I found discounted dairy products in Giant. It will expired in 4 days time. Since it's really cheap and it was in my shopping list, I bought 3 bottles of yoghurt drink and 3 cups of yoghurt. The percentage of saving is a lot. Money aside, it is actually more environmentally friendly.

near expiry yoghurt RM 1.59 to RM 0.49

near expiry yoghurt RM 3.69 to RM 1.00