Why ugly produce may be losing its glamour

The ugly produce phenomenon may be reaching its end point, as supermarkets are slowly backing away from offering discounts on odd-looking produce, according to an Associated Press report. Several retailers have been selling their store-branded imperfect fruits and vegetables as a way to cut down on food waste and give consumers a price break on produce that is fine to eat but misshapen or blemished. In the past, ugly produce was normally trashed.

But according to the Associated Press, grocers such as Walmart, Whole Foods Market and Price Chopper are ending their ugly produce programs.

"Customers didn't accept it as much as we had hoped," Mona Golub of Price Chopper, a grocery chain in the Northeast, told the Associated Press.

However, grocers such as West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee are still trying to limit their food waste. According to the article, the grocer had a recent display of “Misfits” produce that included packs of apples, lemons and oranges that were either too big or small, or otherwise substandard in appearance.

The supplier of the Misfits produce, Robinson Fresh, said about 300 grocery locations sell the fruits and vegetables, including the Hy-Vee stores. Kroger also said it still plans to continue its “Pickuliar Picks” program this spring.

To read the Associated Press article, click here.