Alas it is not just humans who are subjected to unrealistic standards of beauty, but our produce is too. Studies estimate that nearly half of the US food produced is discarded because of industry's obsession with "blemish-free produce." Food waste is a global problem at all levels of consumption - "ugly" produce discarded at the farm, "expired" foods discarded at the store and by consumers, and leftover food scraps thrown out by eaters. Food waste accounts for about 8% of global climate pollution, and ironically about 1 in 9 people go to bed hungry each night. Composting serves as a viable method of reusing discarded food scraps, but there needs to be action also at the root of the problem by bringing "ugly" foods to market.
In class we discussed consumer confusion associated with "use by" and "expiration" dates on packaged foods. We learned that often these dates do not reflect quantitative data on food safety, but rather opinions on when the product may taste the freshest. Consumers (myself included) throw away perfectly edible products because we assume that after the date is passed, the foods will make us sick. In reality, most of these dates are simply arbitrary standards imposed by industry.
When it comes to unpackaged produce, industry has imposed arbitrary standards of physical perfection before the foods come to market. Of course we're not talking about fruit that is clearly rotted or inedible, but rather fresh and tasty fruit that is discolored, deformed, or otherwise unsightly. Luckily there are organizations dedicated to finding "a home for these ugly fruits and veggies," for example, Imperfect Produce, Food Cowboy, and Hungry Harvest. One way for you to combat global food waste, is to support and purchase ugly produce from a provider near you!
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