If you have traveled to regions such as the Balkans, India or rural Latin America, the appearance of misshapen fruit and vegetables everywhere would have hardly surprised you; and of course, they are delicious. But shopping trends on both side of the Atlantic have led consumers to believe fruit should be uniform in color and shape.
If you have traveled to regions such as the Balkans, India or rural Latin America, the appearance of misshapen fruit and vegetables everywhere would have hardly surprised you; and of course, they are delicious. But shopping trends on both side of the Atlantic have led consumers to believe fruit should be uniform in color and shape.
One reason why food waste in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom hovers around 40 percent is because misshapen or “ugly” fruit is tossed into the refuse bin. Some retailers have tried to stop this trend, but consumer habits and marketing strategies die hard. Now a Canadian grocer, Loblaw, is selling misshapen produce at some of its outlets in Ontario and Quebec.
The company will sell the produce, starting with apples and potatoes, under its generic “no name” moniker.
Like many food companies, Loblaw first tried to deal with misshapen fruit by processing it into juice, sauces or soups. But those tactics can only go so far, and if you’ve watched any supermarket employee in action at a produce section, those oddly shaped fruits or vegetables often get tossed aside.
Continue reading at ENN affiliate, Triple Pundit.
Tomato image via Shutterstock.
