No fresh products or baked goods at TJ's. I have often noticed mold on the bakery products, and told the store manager, who pulled them off the table. This was at the Rockville location.

My DH does buy way too many packaged snacks there.

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I love TJs but only because I think of it as a specialty food store, not a one stop grocery store. Think of it as a place you go every few weeks for specialty packaged foods and perhaps the fresh ingredients you need for a dinner that evening, but don't stock up on produce.

Agree. The only fresh produce I buy there is arugula organic salad, roasted red beats and bananas. Well, and fresh flowers/plants. TJs has an amazing sleection of crackers, cookies and sweets, cheeses. I also get wet cat food there.

I gave up buying perishables at TJs years ago. They have awesome packaged goods, and that is all I buy there (coffee, sugar, nuts, dried and frozen fruit, cereal...).

Yeah, I love TJs but only because I think of it as a specialty food store, not a one stop grocery store. Think of it as a place you go every few weeks for specialty packaged foods and perhaps the fresh ingredients you need for a dinner that evening, but don't stock up on produce.

OP, I understand the frustration you're feeling. I only buy packaged things at TJ's. I know they're not good for produce, so I buy mine elsewhere. Maybe just re-adjust your expectations?

I never buy produce from Trader Joe's, just their packaged stuff, which I love. Go to H-Mart for produce, if you can.

I go to the Bailey's XRoads one. I have had my bread mold really fast. I tend to skip most produce there, except bananas. Now I mostly go there b/c I have a popcorn addiction.

OP here - thanks for the comments. Perhaps I will hold out hope that somewhere there is a Trader Joe's with quality control measures in place. Done with the store on the Pike though.

Are you in th burbs or more urban place? I find urban ones have vastly better produce.

Never had an issue, either.

But it's so cheap how can you not buy it?

I have not had problems either. Which one do you go to? I go to the Reston one.

I only go there for packaged foods.

I have seriously never had a single issue with TJs... maybe it's just your store?

I know TJ's tends to have more issues with food spoilage than other stores, but I've kept going back because I like their products, the prices are good, and they are convenient. However, after this month, I'm done. In the past few weeks, I've gotten lemons that were moldy after one day, mandarins that were sour when eaten the next day, a green pepper that I discovered was moldy when I brought it home, potatoes that were bad 1 day after purchase, and today I was chopping garlic that I bought this Saturday to discover several cloves were bad. I've had previous bad experiences with bread and dairy products, and given all that I just can't justify the wasted money and time running back to the store to buy more ingredients. This is the store on Rockville Pike, by the way. I've never had this many issues with any other store (including organic stores so I don't buy the "their products don't have as many preservatives" excuse). Sorry Trader Joe's, I'll miss you.