5 Precautions Missourians Should Take When Shopping at Hy-Vee

Many of us shop on autopilot. You grab what’s on your list, you pay and you’re out the door.

A few small habits along the way can save you from a spoiled dinner or a wrong charge, though.

These are the precautions Missourians should take when shopping at Hy-Vee.

1. Recall Notices

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recalls page lists recalls by company name, so you can look for Hy-Vee there before you cook.

The FDA posted the Short Cuts notice there the day Hy-Vee announced it.

Hy-Vee recalled two Short Cuts vegetable mix products in 2020.

The recall reached the eight states Hy-Vee served then, Missouri included.

Hy-Vee told customers not to eat the vegetables.

It asked them to throw the packages out or bring them back to a local Hy-Vee store for a full refund.

A McCain Foods recall led Hy-Vee to recall six products sold at all of its stores in 2018.

Manufacturers alerted Hy-Vee to a possible Salmonella problem in 2024.

Hy-Vee recalled its Cream Cheese Spread and a bulk Cookies & Cream Mix in Missouri and seven other states.

Allergens show up in food alerts too.

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a public health alert for Hy-Vee’s Mealtime Beef Pot Roast Dinner.

Its gravy may contain wheat that the label doesn’t list.

If you have a wheat allergy, the alert urged you not to eat the product.

2. Cold Foods at the End

Hy-Vee withdrew all of its potato salad varieties from refrigerated grab-and-go and deli service cases in 2022.

Michigan State University Extension tells shoppers to choose cold foods like poultry, dairy products, eggs, and meats last.

Milk, deli meat, and frozen pizza go in your cart last.

It also suggests a cooler for perishable foods if you’ll be driving a distance.

University of Illinois Extension suggests insulated bags or containers to help perishable foods stay cool longer.

The Food and Drug Administration says to refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and other perishables within two hours of purchase.

That drops to one hour if it’s above 90 degrees outside.

Save your other errands for after you’ve unloaded your Hy-Vee bags at home.

Once you’re home, Michigan State University Extension says to check that your refrigerator is at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Separate Cart Sections

University of Illinois Extension recommends dividing your cart into two sections and double-bagging raw meats.

One section is for ready-to-eat and prepackaged foods.

Raw meat, poultry, and seafood go in the other.

Double-bagging contains any meat juices that could leak or drip through the store packaging.

The extension also says to look for packaging that is fully sealed, with no holes, tears, or punctures, and isn’t leaking meat juices.

Start at the shelf, before a package ever touches your cart.

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4. Dates and Dented Cans

Compare the date printed on a package you own with the dates in a recall notice.

Hy-Vee’s 2024 recall notice listed a product code and a use-by or best-by date for each product.

Michigan State University Extension says to examine the use-by and sell-by dates so you know food isn’t expired.

Pick a different can if it’s dented, bulging, or rusting.

The extension says deeply dented or bulging cans may be a warning sign of botulism.

It also says to examine packaged foods for holes, tears, or openings, and to open the egg carton to look for unbroken, clean eggs.

Fresh produce with bruises or damaged pieces is another reason to pick a different one, the extension says.

5. Register Price Checks

Missouri weights and measures officials inspect store scanners to confirm they're accurate.

Scanner errors can cost both consumers and businesses money, the department says.

The National Conference on Weights and Measures offers four steps you can use to check scanner prices, and Missouri's agriculture department passes them along.

Watch the price as each item scans.

Ask the clerk to check any price that looks wrong.

When the scanned price doesn't match the posted price, ask the store manager to correct it.

Save your register receipt in case you have questions or a problem later on.

The 2019 Card Incident

A price check protects what you pay, and a statement check protects the card you pay with.

Hy-Vee reported in 2019 that someone may have accessed payment card data at certain Hy-Vee fuel pumps, drive-thru coffee shops, and restaurants.

The affected restaurants included Hy-Vee Market Grilles and Wahlburgers locations Hy-Vee owns and operates.

Hy-Vee's release said card transactions at front-end checkout lanes, pharmacies, inside convenience stores, and Aisles Online weren't involved.

Access at the pumps may have run from December 2018 through July 2019, depending on the location.

At restaurants and drive-thru coffee shops, access may have begun in January 2019.

Six locations may have had access as early as November 2018.