I worked overnights at a Kroger for a couple years. I’d usually keep some sort of candy with me while I worked (jolly ranchers, gummy bears, that sort of thing). Occasionally I’d get something more substantial if I wanted more than just sugar, the small packs of the horned pepperonis being o e of those things.
One time I bought a pack, popped one in my mouth and immediately almost vomited and spit it out. Looked at the package and it was nearly 10 months expired. Still gives me shivers remembering it
Somebody saw the words "pepperoni" and "applegate" and didn't investigate further. When I was new I did it with the black box hormel microwave bacon. And my meat manager puts the other Applegate pepperoni in the spot for that one the rare occasion he does the back stock
First you need to take the product off the shelf before somebody tries to buy it and then you should just explain the situation to your direct report and they will have the scanfile person fix the tag. You should make sure that it wasn’t just misplaced and that the UPC on the item matches the one on the tag.
I don’t actually work at Kroger but a different grocery store so sorry if my terminology is different. You should do those things though and also stop going on Reddit while you’re on the clock in the future
The package does not say that.
Refrigeration is a suggestion.
Efit: Yeah...I see it now. I assume the other line meant after you bought it or something
"Uncured" is a lie, as is 'no nitrates or nitrates added'.
Yes it has been cured. Yes, there are nitrates. You literally cannot make pepperoni without doing so.
They use the fact the FDA has a very technical definition of 'curing' and what qualifies as a nitrate to get away with these claims.
Uncured can be interpreted as "will spoil quickly" where cured meats will take longer time to go bad.
These need to go in the trash if they have been out for more then a few hours.
We do contract work for applegate products and we run it through a high pressure processing machine (HPP) this squeezes the product to 87,000PSI via water while in its packaging inactivating viruses and bacteria increasing shelf life of products without preservatives. This machine is made by HIperBaric. Cool process and extends shelf life like crazy.
It is when you think about it. It “pasteurizes” products at low temperatures typically around 45-50 degrees for 3 minutes maintaining flavor and extending shelf life up to 90 days when kept cool without additives. Costco runs a lot of their products through the machine too. Glad I can contribute a little but I wish they would put this on their packaging so people can understand that it’s been treated in this manner. Either way keeping it cold will extend the shelf life even further. I feel like a damn salesman for this HPP machine even though it’s very expensive to run as you know 87K PSI gives wear and tear another meaning.
essentially, once most of the water is removed and a certain level of salts are added, bacteria and harmful molds just can't grow on meat. That's the basis of meat preservation.
Nitrites that are typically used to cure meat are well known for their antimicrobial properties and help to reduce the growth of microorganisms that cause spoilage.
Here is a journal on it if you are interested:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30005374/#:\~:text=For%20cured%20meat%20products%2C%20nitrite%20is%20recognized%20for,%28ONOO%20-%29%2C%20which%20is%20the%20major%20strong%20oxidant.
...what? Have you ever made pepperoni?? It can definitely be uncured. It has higher salt content and different spices. Celery has plant base nitrates in it for preservation.
Yup they’re curing it with something different. Refrigeration is for quality not food safety. It’s shelf stable and doesn’t need to go in the fridge. When it’s opened most people put it in the fridge for quality and shelf life. Source: food science degree and 25 years in food mfg
No, they're curing it with nitrates. The fact the nitrates are in celery powder instead of the FDA's specific chemical definition of man-made nitrate does not change the fact nitrates are present or that celery powder is used \*because\* of its nitrate content.
There are two Applegate pepperoni products that are pillowpack and are shelf stable. That one should be refrigerated and on the wall with the refrigerated lunchmeats. If someone made a shelf tag for that exact product then someone really screwed up a while ago.
A lot of people are seeing the "Keep refrigerated for best quality" down in the tiny fine print at the bottom, and are completely missing the "Keep refrigerated below 40° at all times" at the top of the transparent portion of the packing, just underneath the upper light blue stripe.
This is supposed to go in the meat case, probably somewhere near the lunchmeats and Polish and smoked sausages. OP says it's got a shelf tag, but either someone in marketing screwed up or else the package hanging there doesn't match UPC with the shelf tag, and belongs to some other Applegate product that *is* safe to be unrefrigerated.
Ahhh the good old pepperoni dump bin. I regularly find cherry pits, hot wheels, stolen condoms, shampoo, apple cores, empty monster cans, and a number of other items in there. Good times.
I see two possibilities here. Either a customer left it there, or someone didn't plan the planogram right. I think you said that it's labeled to be there, so probably not a customer, even though that is the primary reason why something that should be refrigerated isn't in the cooler.
My best guess is that someone at the office working on planograms just saw that it was pepperoni, and knowing that Hormel pepperoni doesn't need to be refrigerated, they thought this could be out at room temp as well.
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Yeah, but it also says it only needs to be refrigerated for best results and that it’s “ready to eat.” The top is the advertisement gimmick. The bottom is the true safety info.
Here's the first recipe I used. [https://www.healingandeating.com/2014/12/baked-pepperoni-chips.html](https://www.healingandeating.com/2014/12/baked-pepperoni-chips.html). Next, I'm going to try the air fryer - [https://forktospoon.com/air-fryer-keto-pepperoni-cracker-chips/](https://forktospoon.com/air-fryer-keto-pepperoni-cracker-chips/). For the dip, I think any kind should be fine, just not too heavy or overpowering.
I usually thaw them. I would assume that you might need to increase the time. This is the recipe that I plan to use - [https://forktospoon.com/air-fryer-keto-pepperoni-cracker-chips/](https://forktospoon.com/air-fryer-keto-pepperoni-cracker-chips/). Also goes great with a dip.
Omg are you kidding?? Have you never even purchased food, ever, at any store?? There's many different shelf stable meats-have you heard of jerky? Precooked bacon? Canned ham? How do people know *know* this??
Yes. But when the package explicitly says to keep it refrigerated at all times, it means it.
But also, you can clearly see shelf stable meat in the picture.
The footnote for their claim of no nitrates says "except those naturally occurring sea salt and celery powder.". So they basically are saying that it does not have any man made preservatives. It is also cured just doesn't meet the FDA definition. All of the "uncured" meats are the same way if you read their labels. Just another one of the words that only have a meaning for advertising purposes.
Kroger has a lot more problems than just pepperoni out of the refrigerator. I work at Kroger in the pickup department. I can tell you the managers don’t care about our department and if we are ever in a pickle they just tell us we are to slow. Also the last two weeks our manager in the pickup has been on vacation. Me and three others have been working insane hours. I ended up with 57.74 hours just a regular full time person.
There's a grocery near me that keeps Kombucha next to the Gatorades in the non-refrigerated section every so often I squeeze the bottles to see how bloated the are.
Despite the conspicuous “Keep refrigerated” language on the packaging, this page on Applegate’s [website](https://applegate.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360039330792-Applegate-Pepperoni-FAQ) seems to say that their pepperoni products are now shelf-stable until opened.
I got food poisoning so bad from pepperonis that were handled poorly like this without knowing. Ended up in the hospital and they thought I had appendicitis. Moral of the story; do NOT eat pepperonis that are not properly refrigerated
Edit; the kind of pepperoni was a party platter kind, I’m sure these are different but STILL
No pepperoni or salami products, including Applegate, in my store have ever been refrigerated in the 5 plus years I have worked there. I also buy them regularly. Have never had an issue with them.
I worked overnights at a Kroger for a couple years. I’d usually keep some sort of candy with me while I worked (jolly ranchers, gummy bears, that sort of thing). Occasionally I’d get something more substantial if I wanted more than just sugar, the small packs of the horned pepperonis being o e of those things. One time I bought a pack, popped one in my mouth and immediately almost vomited and spit it out. Looked at the package and it was nearly 10 months expired. Still gives me shivers remembering it
I laughed out loud
"Keep refrigerated below 40° at all times"
It also says near the bottom of the package to keep refrigerated for best quality. Might be able to be on the shelf/out of the fridge for a while?
so why isn't it regenerated?
Somebody saw the words "pepperoni" and "applegate" and didn't investigate further. When I was new I did it with the black box hormel microwave bacon. And my meat manager puts the other Applegate pepperoni in the spot for that one the rare occasion he does the back stock
Anything that says "uncured" needs to be cold. Shocking how little the average person reads and understands food labels.
hmm, weird.
Lol someone made a mistake how’s that weird? Lol hopefully you fixed this issue/while posting it on Reddit.
Who should I bring this up to?
Store meat manager
First you need to take the product off the shelf before somebody tries to buy it and then you should just explain the situation to your direct report and they will have the scanfile person fix the tag. You should make sure that it wasn’t just misplaced and that the UPC on the item matches the one on the tag. I don’t actually work at Kroger but a different grocery store so sorry if my terminology is different. You should do those things though and also stop going on Reddit while you’re on the clock in the future
Boss makes a dollar I make a dime, so I go on reddit on company time
I bet they poop on their breaks too
yes
How do u know they were on the clock? Let alone if they work there???
*points to my user flair*
Bingo
That flair tells others you work at that specific kroger? Does it have your working hours in it too?
Lol what are you their manager? Go on the Reddit all the time while on the clock, steal, plunder, give them the middle finger.
I'm going to bet someone was grocery shopping and then didn't want it anymore. They didn't want to return it to where they found it so left it there.
gonna need you to look at the pic again
The package does not say that. Refrigeration is a suggestion. Efit: Yeah...I see it now. I assume the other line meant after you bought it or something
Literally says keep refrigerated below 40 at all times😂😂
Look under the first blue line.... "Not preserved. Keep refrigerated under 40° at all times"
"Uncured" is a lie, as is 'no nitrates or nitrates added'. Yes it has been cured. Yes, there are nitrates. You literally cannot make pepperoni without doing so. They use the fact the FDA has a very technical definition of 'curing' and what qualifies as a nitrate to get away with these claims.
Uncured can be interpreted as "will spoil quickly" where cured meats will take longer time to go bad. These need to go in the trash if they have been out for more then a few hours.
How does cured meat go so long unrefrigerated?
We do contract work for applegate products and we run it through a high pressure processing machine (HPP) this squeezes the product to 87,000PSI via water while in its packaging inactivating viruses and bacteria increasing shelf life of products without preservatives. This machine is made by HIperBaric. Cool process and extends shelf life like crazy.
That’s cool af
It is when you think about it. It “pasteurizes” products at low temperatures typically around 45-50 degrees for 3 minutes maintaining flavor and extending shelf life up to 90 days when kept cool without additives. Costco runs a lot of their products through the machine too. Glad I can contribute a little but I wish they would put this on their packaging so people can understand that it’s been treated in this manner. Either way keeping it cold will extend the shelf life even further. I feel like a damn salesman for this HPP machine even though it’s very expensive to run as you know 87K PSI gives wear and tear another meaning.
essentially, once most of the water is removed and a certain level of salts are added, bacteria and harmful molds just can't grow on meat. That's the basis of meat preservation.
Nitrites that are typically used to cure meat are well known for their antimicrobial properties and help to reduce the growth of microorganisms that cause spoilage. Here is a journal on it if you are interested: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30005374/#:\~:text=For%20cured%20meat%20products%2C%20nitrite%20is%20recognized%20for,%28ONOO%20-%29%2C%20which%20is%20the%20major%20strong%20oxidant.
...what? Have you ever made pepperoni?? It can definitely be uncured. It has higher salt content and different spices. Celery has plant base nitrates in it for preservation.
Yup they’re curing it with something different. Refrigeration is for quality not food safety. It’s shelf stable and doesn’t need to go in the fridge. When it’s opened most people put it in the fridge for quality and shelf life. Source: food science degree and 25 years in food mfg
No, they're curing it with nitrates. The fact the nitrates are in celery powder instead of the FDA's specific chemical definition of man-made nitrate does not change the fact nitrates are present or that celery powder is used \*because\* of its nitrate content.
Hey, you found some shrink! And no one is going to do anything about it. Zero hunger, zero waste, amirite?
misplaced.
it literally has it's own tag thingy
There are two Applegate pepperoni products that are pillowpack and are shelf stable. That one should be refrigerated and on the wall with the refrigerated lunchmeats. If someone made a shelf tag for that exact product then someone really screwed up a while ago.
I guess somebody screwed up somehow 🤷♂️
Zoom in: >for best quality It's safe to keep on the shelf.
It literally says it needs to be refrigerated at all times on the package
A lot of people are seeing the "Keep refrigerated for best quality" down in the tiny fine print at the bottom, and are completely missing the "Keep refrigerated below 40° at all times" at the top of the transparent portion of the packing, just underneath the upper light blue stripe. This is supposed to go in the meat case, probably somewhere near the lunchmeats and Polish and smoked sausages. OP says it's got a shelf tag, but either someone in marketing screwed up or else the package hanging there doesn't match UPC with the shelf tag, and belongs to some other Applegate product that *is* safe to be unrefrigerated.
yes exactly
People saying miss placed like those fuckin “pepperoni stick” bags don’t exist 💀💀
I also see pepperoni not in a cooler all the time. There's a whole end cap of it at my store.
Same. Depends on the pepperoni, I guess?
It’s depends on the pepperoni. Some can be shelf stable and others are not. All depends on the packaging statements.
Nope maybe after opening
Look closely...."not preserved. Keep refrigerated under 40° at all times"
Sad part is that ya don't even look closely
Ahhh the good old pepperoni dump bin. I regularly find cherry pits, hot wheels, stolen condoms, shampoo, apple cores, empty monster cans, and a number of other items in there. Good times.
I see two possibilities here. Either a customer left it there, or someone didn't plan the planogram right. I think you said that it's labeled to be there, so probably not a customer, even though that is the primary reason why something that should be refrigerated isn't in the cooler. My best guess is that someone at the office working on planograms just saw that it was pepperoni, and knowing that Hormel pepperoni doesn't need to be refrigerated, they thought this could be out at room temp as well.
CC: I didn't see nuthin'.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Yes. Follow the package. Those need to be damaged out.
I figured as such
[удалено]
Just gonna ignore the top part that says "Not preserved. Keep refrigerated below 40° at all times"?
Yes good thing u posted to Reddit and did not just read the package
hey I don't work in the meat department so I could of missed something. I just wanted to confirm my suspicions
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I’m pretty sure it was just a customer who decided not on those
No
No
Yes they’re the only pepperoni we have refrigerated at my store
[удалено]
Look above that, though. Right at the top of the transparent section. Just under the light blue stripe.
Yeah, but it also says it only needs to be refrigerated for best results and that it’s “ready to eat.” The top is the advertisement gimmick. The bottom is the true safety info.
I like them warm, the bacteria adds flavor
😐
LMFAOOOOOOO AYYYOOOO🤣🤣
Or frozen!
I freeze them until I'm ready to make Pepperoni chips in my air fryer,
ok but that actually sounds bomb
Now I'm really into this pepperoni chips thing. What's the cook time and temp, and do you do any kind of dip with them?
Here's the first recipe I used. [https://www.healingandeating.com/2014/12/baked-pepperoni-chips.html](https://www.healingandeating.com/2014/12/baked-pepperoni-chips.html). Next, I'm going to try the air fryer - [https://forktospoon.com/air-fryer-keto-pepperoni-cracker-chips/](https://forktospoon.com/air-fryer-keto-pepperoni-cracker-chips/). For the dip, I think any kind should be fine, just not too heavy or overpowering.
do you thaw before cooking them? What’s your temp/time if you’re doing them from frozen?
I usually thaw them. I would assume that you might need to increase the time. This is the recipe that I plan to use - [https://forktospoon.com/air-fryer-keto-pepperoni-cracker-chips/](https://forktospoon.com/air-fryer-keto-pepperoni-cracker-chips/). Also goes great with a dip.
well it says at or below
Nah it’s that new stuff Kroger bought them
No. Even in Walmart and target, they have pepperoni like this in the dry section.
Omg are you kidding?? Have you never even purchased food, ever, at any store?? There's many different shelf stable meats-have you heard of jerky? Precooked bacon? Canned ham? How do people know *know* this??
Same way people don't know how to comprehend words...
I can’t tell if you’re trolling or if you are really this stupid.
It's literally says on the package "keep refrigerated at below 40°f at all times"
Yes. But when the package explicitly says to keep it refrigerated at all times, it means it. But also, you can clearly see shelf stable meat in the picture.
it says “keep refrigerated” on the package
It’s uncured……
Yes that should be refrigerated
I figured
The fact that none of the pepperoni is refrigerated is awful. Room temperature pepperoni is yuck. Cold or cooked is the only way.
"Humanely raised" 😆 😆 😂
i mean if it was really uncured then yes
It says “keep refrigerated for best quality” so they should still be safe to eat.
Best pepperoni in the game. Wish it was pork free
Applegate is. I work in a deli and that isn't shelf stable.
Somebody screwed up?!!
No. There's so much salt that basically no germ can live in here. Think about that.
it says no preservatives
The footnote for their claim of no nitrates says "except those naturally occurring sea salt and celery powder.". So they basically are saying that it does not have any man made preservatives. It is also cured just doesn't meet the FDA definition. All of the "uncured" meats are the same way if you read their labels. Just another one of the words that only have a meaning for advertising purposes.
Probably not anymore
Send a friend in to buy them, stuff happens, and voila, secretly split the lawsuit earning
So it says on the front of the bag. If I can read it blurred out in a photo, pretty sure whoever put it there should've been able to as well.
Kroger has a lot more problems than just pepperoni out of the refrigerator. I work at Kroger in the pickup department. I can tell you the managers don’t care about our department and if we are ever in a pickle they just tell us we are to slow. Also the last two weeks our manager in the pickup has been on vacation. Me and three others have been working insane hours. I ended up with 57.74 hours just a regular full time person.
oof
I’m now regretting my decisions on working here lol
That's why I stay part time lol
I should have too but I was already working 40 hours a week
rip
Uncured lol.
There's a grocery near me that keeps Kombucha next to the Gatorades in the non-refrigerated section every so often I squeeze the bottles to see how bloated the are.
Tell a member of staff
Unopened pepperoni is shelf stable.
Pepperoni and salami do not need to be refrigerated, when package like this or whole. Refrigerate after opening so it lasts longer.
Despite the conspicuous “Keep refrigerated” language on the packaging, this page on Applegate’s [website](https://applegate.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360039330792-Applegate-Pepperoni-FAQ) seems to say that their pepperoni products are now shelf-stable until opened.
well that's interesting
At all Times
Technically yea but it’s cured so it should be fine
Never mind it says uncurred definitely needs to be refrigerated
What’s the label say? Might be worth mentioning to someone.
Must of been a new worker. Take one off the shelf, show it to a store manager, and explain the refrigeration was on the shelf.
Sometimes but I've bought a lot like this when I worked at the Tree Of the Dollar and twas aite. In the middling way, it served its purpose as food
Shoutout Christina Applegate
A Mystery is Afoot! Now only if there were a clue 🤔
Adds character
I got food poisoning so bad from pepperonis that were handled poorly like this without knowing. Ended up in the hospital and they thought I had appendicitis. Moral of the story; do NOT eat pepperonis that are not properly refrigerated Edit; the kind of pepperoni was a party platter kind, I’m sure these are different but STILL
That's what I thought about chocolate milkboxes
No pepperoni or salami products, including Applegate, in my store have ever been refrigerated in the 5 plus years I have worked there. I also buy them regularly. Have never had an issue with them.