Ugly Produce Problems

 Ugly Food Gets A Second Chance...?

Have you ever gone to the grocery store or farmers market and picked up an oddly shaped bell pepper? What about a bruised banana? Did you end up purchasing it or looking past it and selecting a more "traditional-looking" piece of produce? 

 Photo Credit: 

Olga Leschenko/Shutterstock

If you answered yes to all of the questions above, you're not alone. In fact, most grocery stores in the US are actually set up so that you don't have to purchase "ugly produce" or even see it on the shelves in the first place. According to Almanac.com, it's rumored that about 1 in 5 fruits and vegetables that are grown by commercial farmers don't meet the harsh cosmetic standards of grocery stores. Why do grocery stores care what shape a carrot grows in? Well, it's simple, because consumers do. Several studies have been done on how we give value to the presentation and appearance of our food choices. One study, in particular, found that even as food was professionally prepared by chefs, participants still preferred more attractive plating techniques over quality of food. Our cognitive bias reminds us of how red a tomato should be and how straight a carrot should stand. Leaving us with aesthetically pleasing produce drawers in our fridge, and landfills of fresh, but ugly produce. 

So, what happens to all that ugly food and what can we do?

Simple. It goes to waste. But it doesn't have to. In fact, many companies are now beginning to offer food subscription boxes for low-cost fresh produce that is just "too ugly to sell". Sites like Misfits Market offer several box sizes for a monthly rate to get fresh farm produce sent to your door. You can even select to receive more or less fruits or veggies each month. They've recently expanded to offer meat, seafood, dairy, and other grain options for a more well-rounded grocery delivery option. However, the best and most economical option might be to simply shop small and local when you can and see if purchasing ugly produce from farmers in your area is an option. Chances are if you don't see ugly produce on tables at a farmers market, it's because farmers don't believe it will sell. There have also been several attempts made by Kroger, Walmart, and Whole Foods to begin selling ugly produce at a discounted rate, but the companies have reported that consumers just aren't interested. If we want to help reduce food waste, especially food waste due to shallow cosmetic reasons, it truly starts with us, we cannot solely rely upon major corporations to do the right thing or lead a worthy cause.