What Are Frankenfoods? They’re not as scary as you may think…
I realize we are close to Halloween, but no, this is not a tale about a fruit that will turn you into a zombie if you eat it… I’m pretty sure those do not exist. Instead, the purpose of this post is to bring awareness to “Franken” foods—better known as ugly or imperfect fruits and veggies.
What are “ugly” produce? This frightening term has been fated to less than perfect produce whose appearance is a little different from the “perfect” counterparts you find in grocery stores.
Sounds scary, right? What’s even scarier?
Almost half of all produce harvested in the US doesn’t make it to the public and is left uneaten. Fruits and vegetables are abandoned in fields or thrown away once they reach stores just because their appearance isn’t aesthetically pleasing.
While a bruised, wrinkled, or misshapen produce may be deemed “ugly”, there’s really nothing ugly about them. Ugly produce are no different from their perfect produce equivalents in regards to freshness, nutrition value, or taste. This is a classic case of judging a book by its cover.
What IS ugly, however, is the way that this aesthetically flawed produce is treated. This food is being wasted while so many face food insecurity or cannot afford and therefore do not eat enough produce.
Originated by endfoodwaste.org, the “Ugly” Fruit And Veg Campaign, brings attention to food that is wasted for appearance only. The Ugly Fruit and Veg campaign promotes these in order to highlight the 20-40% of all produce that goes to waste due to strict grocer cosmetic standards. This Campaign was successful in petitioning such grocery chains as Whole Foods Market and Walmart to sell “ugly” produce, and is working towards bringing other retailers on as well. Visit the website at endfoodwaste.org for more information on the campaign, events, and locations ugly foods are sold with the Ugly Fruit And Veg Supermarket Directory!
Thankfully, the ugly food movement is catching on and expanding. Joining the fold to make this produce more accessible are companies who purchase ugly produce directly from regional farms and distribute straight to the consumer. This venture not only helps to reduce food waste, but it also ensures the farmers are getting paid for their harvest when they otherwise may not.
One such company is Misfit Market. With a mission to combat food waste and provide affordable, fresh, and delicious “misfit” produce to people everywhere, Misfit Market sources high quality fruits and vegetables that stores can’t or won’t sell. For this reason, they are then able to sell ugly produce for up to 40% less than grocery store prices. And, they deliver directly to you. *Check out misfitsmarket.com for more info on delivery locations.
Hungry Harvest is another farm to table operation advocating for fruits and veggies that don’t make the visually appealing grade. The site promotes customizable variety boxes of fruits and veggies which are then delivered right to the consumer. Here’s a fun fact they include on their site—“Every delivery helps to eliminate at least ten pounds of food from going to waste along with all the resources used to grow it.” *Find out more at hungryharvest.net
Imperfect Foods takes it a step further. Boasting real food with real character, in addition to produce, they also deliver affordable pantry items, cage-free eggs, and dairy right to their customers, all while offering up to a 30% discount off of grocery store prices.
This company includes foods that may be off-spec—meaning there’s a slight variance in packaging or they do not have a local buyer—or that has gone through a packaging change that confuses consumers, or, perfectly good foods that would otherwise go to waste simply because there isn’t enough demand for it. For example, broccoli leaves are a healthy and delicious part of the broccoli plant that used to get left in the field because stores only wanted to buy broccoli crowns–even though the stalk and leaves are over 2/3 of the plant! Imperfect Foods delivers to most major cities in the US. *Check out their website at imperfectfoods.com
Search “ugly fruit and veg delivery” near you! Take a chance on some not-so-ugly but yes-so-very overlooked nutritious foods!
The End.
Angie Moreno is a Wellness Specialist, with a BS in nutrition. She is an avid supporter of reducing food waste and food insecurity.
