Woolworths boss Brad Banducci has defended the amount of food the supermarket giant rejects with a top executive saying no one wants a banana that is "too big", a South Australian parliamentary inquiry has heard.
A lot of this is on us (the consumers). If they put produce on the shelves that isn’t perfect, we don’t buy it. So, it gets wasted. Either
at the farm before it is loaded onto a truck,
at the warehouse before it is sent to store,
at the dock before it is put on display,
by the customer, who will pick the ‘nicer’ fruit/vegetable from the pile.
We can’t entirely blame the supermarkets for this, though they absolutely deserve some of the blame. Having the ability to buy an apple with a bruise on it for a fraction of the price of the perfect apple is both good for the environment and a way to help address the rising cost of living.
Not sure they’d go for it, as they care more about the loss of the sale of that perfect apple than they do about the food waste.
A lot of this is on us (the consumers). If they put produce on the shelves that isn’t perfect, we don’t buy it.
To a certain extent, yes. But the sociological phenomenon it has morphed into is being reinforced significantly by supermarkets limiting the types of produce we see on shelves. Where do our ideas of what a banana should look like come from? Very few people live on farms or are buying from farmer’s markets, so their main exposure to produce throughout their life is through the supermarket shelf. You say “produce…that isn’t perfect” but who is determining what perfect looks like? I would argue it’s not the individual who is consciously making the determination that a large banana isn’t perfect. The expected norm is that a banana should be smaller and that heavily influences the individual’s resulting behaviour to the extent that they cannot be blamed in a way that would actually solve this problem. We need to change society’s values as a whole, and that requires large-scale change at the level of something like supermarket regulation.
Personally I don’t much care how it looks. In fact with bananas and apples in particular, I find the more “perfect” examples are often the least flavourful.
But I will avoid bruised product. If there are noticeable soft spots, it’s staying on the shelf.
Of course you will. You are looking at two items, both costing the same price ($x/kg). One is in fantastic condition and one looks less-than-fantastic.
It’s just human nature that you’ll take the pristine product. Why on earth would you pay the same amount for an inferior product?
Right but my point was that for me it’s not just one that looks less-than-fantastic. It’s one that might even look better but actually is inferior. Bruises in fruit & veggies actually affect the flavour/texture of the food.
Woolies did do a good thing by bagging up the less perfect looking fruit/veggies and selling that separately cheaper. I’m assuming Coles does the same.
A lot of independent grocers also do the same. There are a few fruits and vegetables (tomato, pear, apple, zucchini, capsicum, cucumber, eggplant, avocado, onion) that I often buy like this. Always considerably cheaper per kilo than buying them loose (unless the equivalent was on special), though sometimes the quality isn’t as good.
A lot of this is on us (the consumers). If they put produce on the shelves that isn’t perfect, we don’t buy it. So, it gets wasted. Either
We can’t entirely blame the supermarkets for this, though they absolutely deserve some of the blame. Having the ability to buy an apple with a bruise on it for a fraction of the price of the perfect apple is both good for the environment and a way to help address the rising cost of living.
Not sure they’d go for it, as they care more about the loss of the sale of that perfect apple than they do about the food waste.
it’s been a weird chicken/egg situation. When I was a kid, weird shaped veggies were nbd, shit came out of the dirt, what did you expect.
Meanwhile hubs (7 years younger) freaks at a two legged carrot because he’s never seen produce that wasn’t standardised to a catalogue.
To a certain extent, yes. But the sociological phenomenon it has morphed into is being reinforced significantly by supermarkets limiting the types of produce we see on shelves. Where do our ideas of what a banana should look like come from? Very few people live on farms or are buying from farmer’s markets, so their main exposure to produce throughout their life is through the supermarket shelf. You say “produce…that isn’t perfect” but who is determining what perfect looks like? I would argue it’s not the individual who is consciously making the determination that a large banana isn’t perfect. The expected norm is that a banana should be smaller and that heavily influences the individual’s resulting behaviour to the extent that they cannot be blamed in a way that would actually solve this problem. We need to change society’s values as a whole, and that requires large-scale change at the level of something like supermarket regulation.
Personally I don’t much care how it looks. In fact with bananas and apples in particular, I find the more “perfect” examples are often the least flavourful.
But I will avoid bruised product. If there are noticeable soft spots, it’s staying on the shelf.
Of course you will. You are looking at two items, both costing the same price ($x/kg). One is in fantastic condition and one looks less-than-fantastic.
It’s just human nature that you’ll take the pristine product. Why on earth would you pay the same amount for an inferior product?
Right but my point was that for me it’s not just one that looks less-than-fantastic. It’s one that might even look better but actually is inferior. Bruises in fruit & veggies actually affect the flavour/texture of the food.
Woolies did do a good thing by bagging up the less perfect looking fruit/veggies and selling that separately cheaper. I’m assuming Coles does the same.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen an “odd bunch” veggie that i wouldn’t be happy to pick off the shelf, but I’ve seen plenty on the shelf I wouldn’t pick
they seem more like weird shaped veggies than minor damage. and nit a whole lot cheaper either
A lot of independent grocers also do the same. There are a few fruits and vegetables (tomato, pear, apple, zucchini, capsicum, cucumber, eggplant, avocado, onion) that I often buy like this. Always considerably cheaper per kilo than buying them loose (unless the equivalent was on special), though sometimes the quality isn’t as good.
Yeah, same at the market. At the end of the market day they’ll wrap everything up that’s left and sell it by the kilo.