brtacasse: if it where a single store that had done that I would agree with you, but when a company does it across the chain, the goods are good here's why.
I have worked at a supermarket for 17+ years, when a store gets meat that is going it will always reduce it and try to sell it quickly. There is no plan whatsoever to gather up the meat that is close to expiring in one location and redistribute it, there wouldn't be enough time.
When they slash prices like that it often means the supplier has a backload of it and is trying to clear his warehouse, or also sometimes on Nature's Reserve <which is australian> you will find them slash the price to $3.99 on filet and it is just fine, the australians are having a hard time pushing their meat against ours at the same price so they would rather sell it.
Also if a chain has a batch of meat that is close to expiring in the warehouse it will often times distribute it at cut rate prices but the color always gives this away, there is no way to make that cherry red fresh color reappear once it is gone. What they usually do with meat that is close but hasn't expired is dress it for sale as a prepared roast, using spices to cover the color, or marinade.
If the meat is cherry red it's fresh, if its the color of liver or has spots that color avoid it, although it is still perfectly fine to eat, just not very fresh.
