Not So Perfect Produce

Anyone who has tended their own garden knows that fruits and vegetables don’t just naturally grow picture perfect. In fact, more often than not they can be down right homely. But does that mean they won’t taste as good or aren’t as nutritious? No, it just means we have to get over our predisposed notion that we have to have beautiful vegetables. When did we become so fixated on perfection when it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables? Better question - would people buy the unshapely fruits and vegetables if offered to them at a reduced price. Giving consumers the option might just be a good way to help reduce food waste. Or perhaps grocery stores could cash in on the uniqueness of “ugly” produces and create a marketing campaign around getting kids to enjoy their “funny shaped” fruits and veggies! There is a move in Europe to reverse the unsustainable practice of throwing out ugly produce, and in fact German students started the “Ugly Fruits Campaign” aimed at getting misshapen produce back into supermarkets and available to consumers. Who knows, maybe Americans will accept “ugly” produce on their supermarket shelves in the not too distant future.