It might be hip for supermarkets such as Wal-Mart to embrace the sale of so-called ugly produce as a way to reduce food waste, but whether it makes practical or economic sense to launch regular offerings of odd-looking or funny-shaped fruits and vegetables may be something different.
Wal-Mart started selling branded and bagged apples at a discount earlier this week to consumers in about 300 of its Florida stores under the "I'm Perfect" label, but even smaller chains have found it difficult to get a steady stream of ugly fruits and veggies to continue such programs. The retailer may get a shipment of imperfect produce one week but then have to wait weeks or months until the next harvest brings more, thus making it difficult to keep stores regularly stocked with this cheaper-priced produce.
"Selling cosmetically imperfect produce is relatively rare right now," said Dana Gunders, a senior scientist in the food and agriculture program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Whole Foods has a pilot program, and there was a California chain, Raley's, that tried it for a little while but discontinued it."
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