How many of these "traps" when buying food have you fallen into? Learn how to avoid them early and stay informed

Nowadays, people's living standards are improving, and their approaches and preferences for purchasing food are becoming increasingly diverse. Some seek cost-effectiveness, some prioritize simplicity and convenience, while others focus on quality. However, no matter what, consumers can never match the "cleverness" of merchants. This is akin to a common saying among the general public: "No matter how smart the buyer is, they can never surpass the smart seller!"!
"Food is the foundation of the people's livelihood, and safety comes first." Yet, how many people haven't taken detours or fallen into pitfalls when purchasing food? After all, some profit-driven merchants exist, and consumers' awareness levels are also quite limited. Today, let's discuss these common pitfalls in food purchases and see if you've ever fallen into them:
Near-expiry food may involve passing off inferior products as good ones
Since last year, the near-expiry food market has been booming. Just look at supermarkets around us—upon entering, you'll find dedicated near-expiry food counters, and even specialty stores. In recent years, the scale of near-expiry food has grown significantly. However, among consumers purchasing these products, cases of buying too much food at once and failing to consume it before the expiration date, or encountering food safety issues, have not been uncommon. Media investigations have also uncovered unscrupulous vendors tampering with dates and passing off inferior goods as fresh. This indicates that the supply of near-expiry food cannot fully guarantee quality. While near-expiry food is not inherently unsafe, prioritizing cost savings over food safety can lead to problems. Therefore, consumers should remain vigilant when making purchases
First, when purchasing, always check for any signs of tampering around the date on the food packaging. Look for evenly distributed, bright ink, and whether the date can be wiped off with water. Generally, authentic dates are produced through methods like heat transfer, laser printing, or die stamping, while tampered expired products often feature ink-printed dates.
Second, due to the popularity of near-expiry food, some merchants may sell products that are not actually nearing expiry but are of lesser-known brands, such as certain imported snacks. Since it's hard to tell, the best approach is to avoid them altogether.
Third, avoid buying excessive amounts just to save money, lest you waste it by not finishing before the expiration date.

The products advertised may not necessarily have quality or high nutritional value
Celebrity advertisements for food have always been popular among some people, not because the food itself is good, but because a certain celebrity has advertised or endorsed it. In fact, the content of some food advertisements is not rigorous. For example, a few days ago, I saw an advertisement for a dairy product that said it was high in calcium and low in glycemic index. On the surface, it seemed fine, but high in calcium and low in glycemic index is not unique to its advertised food. Milk and dairy products themselves are high in calcium and low in glycemic index, which means that even if you take out any pure milk or fresh grandma products, they are high in calcium and low in glycemic index. Or advertising a certain plant-based food, claiming that it does not contain cholesterol, etc. In fact, cholesterol is only contained in animal based foods. Advertising slogans that highlight a particular ingredient or ingredients that people are particularly concerned about can make consumers who lack professional knowledge believe that this product is the best among similar products.
Buy food produced by legitimate manufacturers, avoid "three no" products, and try to avoid buying such food. If you really need it urgently, you still need to learn to distinguish and choose to buy. Fruits should still be bought intact and fresh.
There are many "traps" in packaging food labels
As long as it is pre packaged food, the back of the food packaging will have the national 4+1 nutrition label, nutritional content table, name, production date, shelf life, and producer information, which are collectively referred to as food labels. There are some "traps" hidden in food labels that merchants will not tell you, so you must learn to read them, such as:
The name does not match the actual product. For example, the name is buckwheat flour, but in the actual ingredient list, wheat flour ranks first and buckwheat flour ranks fourth. The name is black sesame paste, but in the ingredient list, black sesame is ranked last