I would strongly advise customers to avoid Sprouts Farmers Market's deli and "grab n go" section. It is not a safe or sanitary choice.
The deli production process is deeply concerning. Food regularly sits out for hours during production before it is ever moved to refrigeration. After sitting at unsafe temperatures, these items are then placed directly onto the shelves for customers to "grab n go" as if they were freshly and safely prepared.
Expiration dates are also misleading and improperly labeled. Products such as soups, sauces, ready-to-cook meals (including Kevin's meals), pizzas, Panera Bread items, quiches, and egg bites are given dates that do not reflect how long they were already sitting out prior to refrigeration. Customers are not being given accurate information about freshness or food safety.
The grab n go shelves themselves are not cleaned or properly maintained. In fact, many of these shelves have not been thoroughly cleaned since the store opened. This alone should be alarming.
Items such as sandwiches, wraps, salads, full meals, parfaits, snack boxes, and even rotisserie chickens are all extremely questionable choices for your health. As someone who worked behind the scenes, I would never purchase or consume these products.
The deli department does not follow Sprouts' own health and production regulations, despite what the company advertises. Customers are led to believe they're buying fresh, healthy food, when in reality, basic food safety standards are ignored.
If you care about your health, skip the deli entirely. read more