Imperfect Beauty

There is an image problem in this country.

The beautiful are put on a pedestal, while the ugly are unceremoniously discarded.

With people those actions are figurative. For fruits and vegetables they are quite literal. Attractive produce is on display for sale at grocery stores across the country while misshapen, “ugly” produce is thrown away before even getting off the farm... despite having the exact same taste attributes as their “pretty” brethren. 

The rational is simple, even understandable, if consumers aren't going to buy them, why bother? We are all at fault, who hasn’t gone through the apple bin passing on an apple because it is not as red or not as round and we expect it to be? And those are the ones that made the grade. 

In Europe, many supermarkets have embraced the selling of  “irregular” produce. The practice has yet to catch on here—until now. Whole Foods, in collaboration with Imperfect Produce, an Emeryville, Calif.-based startup, has begun a pilot program that will sell "ugly" produce in a handful of its Northern California stores.

Imperfect Produce, which launched last summer, currently delivers misshapen produce—directly to consumers—at a 30-50 percent discount rate in the Bay area, but is hoping to expanding within the next three to five years—and that includes working with other retailers.