Food sell by dates

[38capriman]

Can anybody answer this question for me?

When I went grocery shopping in the supermarkets while on holiday in Gran Canaria I noticed the sell by dates on everything were a lot longer than when I go to my local supermarket superstore in England.

The bread for instance in the supermarket in Gran Canaria had a sell by date of May 2006 (I was there in January 2006). The same bread back at home usually has a sell by date about 3 to 4 days from when I buy it.

Am I the only person who finds that when they go grocery shopping in England most of the items they buy have to be eaten within the week?

[fee]

I think bread with a sell by day of six months must have an awful lot of preservatives in it and not much flour !!!!!!

[Stephen]

it may be something to do with the weather and the hot temperatures in the canaries that they ahve to give it a long shelf life

[Alter Egotist]

I'm not 100% sure but if they are similiar to the US of A, everything is loaded with perservitives and this can keep things fresh for anything up to 3/4's of the year. Some of the stuff in the states would freak you out. We had milk for a month and a half. thats just wrong. Will have a gander and an aski when Im over in March. Im sure its something to do with the weather

[mary]

if it was the type of bread in plastic wrapping, that has a long shelf life. but fresh baguettes only last the day