Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Did Key Food Change Expiration Dates to Unload Old Chicken?
By
John Del Signore
Published May 17, 2010
Modified May 17, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published May 17, 2010
Modified May 17, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A customer at a Brooklyn Heights Key Food says the supermarket intentionally sold her some D’Artagnan chicken that was old and spoiled, simply by slapping a new expiration sticker on the expired package. "I got it home [on May 12], cut off the wrapping and smelled something wrong immediately," customer Marie Viljoen tells the Brooklyn Paper. "The ‘sell by’ date on the label said May 16. … But the dopes left the original ‘sell by’ sticker underneath it: May 5. Eleven days earlier." The dopes at the Atlantic Avenue Key Food deny this, and say Viljoen is just trying to shake them down.
"People try to make money that way," said manager Edwin Rodriguez. "It’s absolutely not true. The inspector came in the next day, and everything’s fine." It's true—you can make a fortune buying stuff from supermarkets and then returning it for a sweet refund! But Viljoen says she hasn't seen a dime, telling the Brooklyn Paper, "I’m not trying to ‘make money’ off them — I haven’t even got my money back for the purchase. I still have that damn chicken in the freezer.
In April, state inspectors faulted the Key Food for "critical deficiencies" and gave the store the lowest rank possible. But after Viljoen's allegation prompted another insepction, no "critical deficiencies" were found. Still, even the rumor Key Food is selling bad chicken isn't gonna be good for business. That's not gonna be good for anybody.
Tagged
bad chicken
brooklyn heights
chicken
key food
sell by date
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .