Best By” date instruction + handling damaged currency
An internal notes I retained (Sept 7, 2025)
a handwritten instruction stating that Hostess “BB” (Best By) dates were treated as sellable after the printed date, together with a photocopied image of a damaged $20 bill with a handwritten note about rejecting damaged bills. Because federal rules restrict reproduction of U.S. currency, I am cropping/redacting the currency image and sharing it only for documentation purposes (see 18 U.S.C. § 504 and the Bureau of Engraving & Printing guidance on currency image use). The purpose of posting this exhibit is to show how dated products were discussed internally and why I considered the store’s approach to dated products unclear and inconsistent.
Cocktail Mix in Beer Cooler 16 Sept, 2025 where BB date is July 11, 2024.
Sept 16, 2025 — Report to HR I emailed Silvia Bello (Human Resources Manager) documenting that I found additional outdated beers and that this did not appear isolated.
Food safety report: expired products and management instructions (September 2025)Sept 10, 2025 — Expired beer observed I observed two packs of beer that were past the listed dates. I state that the site manager, Ronald Bates, told me to put them back. This concerned me because customers could unknowingly purchase expired product.
Email dated 9/16/25
Sept 17, 2025 — HR acknowledgement
HR responded acknowledging my report and stating they would look into it.
HR response dated 9/17/25
Sept 21, 2025 — Written memo / discipline narrative
Five days after my HR report, I received a written memo dated Sept. 18, 2025 (delivered on sept 21, 2025) from Ronald Bates about a separate alleged issue (call-in/uniform). I wrote my disagreement directly on the document.
Memo-write up dated 9/18/25 with my annotations
Sept 21, 2025 — Leave early form
I documented hostile treatment/retaliation concerns on an internal “Arrive Late/Leave Early” form.
Form dated 9/21/25
About “Best By” dates
Many packaged foods display a “Best By” date, which is commonly understood as a quality date (not always a strict safety expiration). However, in normal retail practice, items are often pulled or discounted by that date, and many stores do not keep selling products long after the Best By date because it creates customer-trust and safety concerns—especially for items that are perishable or have any uncertainty. In my case, I observed products that were past their printed dates and documented my concern.
Food-safety policy clarity
One reason I’m posting this is because the handling of dated products at this location appeared inconsistent and unclear. In my experience, when I raised concerns about items past their printed dates, I did not see a clear, written policy being followed in a consistent way, and I received conflicting instructions.
If you have any questions or info about this matter please write me an email
Thank you for your attention.