Is online food not as fresh?

A new report suggests that while ordering the weekly shop online may be convenient, the food the consumer receives is not as fresh.

Which? conducted a survey of four major supermarkets in the UK - Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Waitrose - buying ten common items.

The report found that the best-before dates on the food bought was earlier than what was available that same day in the stores.

Of the "snapshot" research, the best-before dates on plums, carrots, potatoes and salad were more than a day earlier than the same produce available in the shops. For a loaf of bread, in one case, there was a loaf of bread with a use-by date of more than eight days later than that bread ordered online.

Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsburys said that they employ shoppers which aim to pick the best produce for online customers. Tesco also said that its customers can indicate minimum best-before dates. Asda did not respond.