University of Southern California

Lewis on Sale of Expired Food at LA Grocery Stores

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October 8, 2009

The Los Angeles Times cited a study led by SPPD Teaching Associate Professor LaVonna Lewis which found that one in three grocery stores in low-income Los Angeles neighborhoods often sells expired food. "It's a quality question," Lewis said. "Shouldn't people have access to fresh, healthy foods no matter where they live? It's also a resource question. If you have limited resources, aren't those resources used less effectively if the food you purchase in your neighborhood is quickly out of date?" Future studies will try to determine whether expired food products are found more often in low-income areas, Lewis said.