Many States Complain About Walmart’s Milk Going Bad, Is Illinois Next?

Many states have complaints about Walmart's milk going bad before its expiration date.

Is Illinois next?

WANE shares that in August of this year several Indiana customers who purchased Walmart's Great Value milk have complained that it's "going bad before the expiration date on the container."

The Indiana State Board of Health Dairy Division stated in August, that they do thorough inspections of the "dairy farms, storage of milk on the farms, the trucks used to transport the milk, and the dairy processing facilities" and at that time they had not heard "about this being a widespread issue and happening in other locations."

Well fast forward to this month.

WANE has received complaints of the same thing from"dozens of Walmart shoppers in states across the country". (See the map below.)

A specialist from the Sustainable Food Systems at Natural Resources Defense Council said that the expiration dates are really "an estimate of when the product will be at its peak quality." They are not markers to tell us when we shouldn't eat or drink something after the date,

The main concern about the spoiling of these milk products from Walmart is not that it's happening at the plants where they receive their milk, because there has been no evidence or reports that there were food safety issues, but it's what's happening after it leaves the milk processing plant.

50% of milk spoiling "[happens] when the milk is not stored at the proper temperature which allows bacteria to grow rapidly causing defects.

Nicole Martin, Associate Director of the Milk Quality Improvement Program at Cornell University, said that "it could be a result of improper storage when the milk is transported, refrigeration problems at a store or once a consumer takes the product home."

Hmmm... so regardless, the milk is spoiling faster than it should be and Walmart is ok with this?

Molly Blakeman, Walmart's spokesperson said the following :

"The company is committed to providing quality products."   It's important to note that different suppliers provide milk under the Great Value brand using multiple different plants across the country. A few hundred stores in Indiana and surrounding states carry milk from the processing plant there in Ft. Wayne, so it is very unlikely that these comments are connected."

Am I reading this right? They're basically saying that it's not their fault this is happening. Wait a minute. It's their milk.

I'm not happy with that answer at all.

We pay for a product that should be good and last. That's why I always reach for the jug of milk with the farthest date out.

Has this happened to anyone here in Rockford, Freeport, Belvidere or elsewhere in the stateline?