This Montreal-area store sells expired food for cheap

It looks like any other store — but it’s not. Many of the products at Liquidation Marie have passed their posted best before date.

"Customers are willing to save money and buy some expired things,” says store owner Marie-Eve Breton.

Breton spent the day stocking the shelves of her fourth location.

She sources surplus from other stores, and then sells it at reduced prices. Some of the offerings like the meats are nearing expiry but not there yet. Many of the cheeses are also discounted.

Customers' reactions are mixed.

“We have the kind that’s very shocked, and we have the kind [that says] ‘Oh Marie, it’s not a big deal.’”

One of the best deals is a 12-pack of energy bars with a price tag of just $5. In other stores, the same product can cost up to $27. The difference is that at Liquidation Marie, the bars passed their best before date in August.

Not everyone is happy about the savings though. Breton says some people have even called Quebec's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to complain.

But a ministry spokesperson told CTV News many foods can be safely consumed after their best before dates if they show no obvious signs of spoilage.

Sylvain Charlebois, director at the Dalhousie University Agri-food Analytics Lab, says more people are looking for bargains nowadays.

“The food rescuing economy is growing through these stores and my guess is traffic is increasing due to higher food prices,” he adds.

It's up to shoppers to decide whether they want to savour the savings when the Saint-Jérôme store officially opens Thursday.