The movement to popularize ugly produce recipes became a thing due to cases of food waste. There are food products that end up in a dumpster not because they are unhealthy or have expired, but because they are not aesthetically attractive. Almost everyone wants to eat only foods that are Instagram-worthy. What then becomes of all the flawed and not-so-attractive produce in our pantry?
The alarming thing is that the habit of screening out imperfect produce is not limited to those at the end of the food value chain alone. For instance, a 2013 UK report revealed that 40% of cultivated fruits and vegetables are wasted due to aesthetic screening. So, sometimes the produce doesn’t get to leave the farm because it does not meet the aesthetic benchmark of retailers.
However, the battle is not entirely lost for ‘ugly’ farm produce. Some stakeholders are making a case for plugging this channel of food waste. Chefs are developing ugly produce recipes, home cooks are embracing gourmet ugly vegetables, and innovators are whipping up bespoke shelf-stable products using these aesthetically rejected foods. This piece will reveal how sustainability advocates are fighting food waste and reducing the rejection of imperfect fruits and vegetables.
The Problem with Cosmetic Standards
Supermarkets and supply chains often take the ‘customer is always right’ maxim too far. They often enforce unrealistic cosmetic standards on growers and suppliers of edible produce. If it doesn’t meet specific color, shape and size standards, the food is rejected. This practice often leaves large stocks of unsold inventory on farmers’ books, and sometimes leads to significant loss.
Retailers usually deploy various mechanisms for rejecting ‘imperfect’ foods. Some of them sign contracts with farmers that mandate the supply of produce with specific attributes. So, during harvest, farmers cull only food that meets this standard, leaving the rest to rot or sell it in alternative markets at a fraction of the price.
The environmental impact of this perfect produce screening is not far-fetched. Most times, farmers have no choice but to watch their harvest go to waste. However, it’s not just the food that goes to waste, but the energy, land, water and other resources that went into its production. Meanwhile, these ‘imperfect’ produce offer as much nutritional vitality as those that made the aesthetic cut.
People’s definition of a ‘perfect’ produce often comes with cultural undertones. Countries in the global West are usually particular about symmetry, bright colors, and the absence of blemishes. In East Asia, a perfect food may translate to one that is traceable, of a particular size, and with certain functional and nutritional benefits. Developing nations often prioritize food security. So, their definition of perfect produce is usually not as stringent as that of the global West. If the produce is available, it supplies adequate nutrition and is safe for consumption, developing countries are likely to accept it. This probably explains why genetically modified crops are being banned in some Western economies and are being accepted by developing countries.
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Chefs Leading the Ugly Produce Movement
Chefs and restaurants are the front-runners in reducing the food waste that emanates from aesthetic screening practices. This trend is indeed not surprising, because diners seldom get to see the kind of produce that births those delicious dishes. At best, restaurants and chefs try to be transparent about the sourcing of materials that go into meal preparations. However, hardly anyone will show you the oddly shaped corn that went into the preparation of your tacos.
However, some restaurants, like Imperfect Fresh Eats, have made ugly produce recipes a selling point. Also, chefs like Sean Brock and Maneet Chauhan are walking the talk concerning sustainable cooking and food waste reduction.
Another advocate of the ugly produce movement is Chef Dan Barber, whose wasteED project prepares gourmet dishes from scraps. Other chefs who are adopting various creative food waste solutions are Tristam Stuart, Musa Dagdeviren, and Dominique Crenn. The goal of these chefs is usually to emphasise the taste and creativity of meals over appearance. Hopefully, more culinary experts will take on such roles to strip customer perceptions about ‘ugly’ produce.
From Farm to Fork — Rescue Initiatives
Chefs and restaurants operate towards the end of the food supply chain. Nonetheless, it is undeniable that their imperfect produce recipes reduce a fair share of food waste. Other initiatives try to staunch the waste of imperfect produce closer to the source.
In the United States, Misfits Market operates an e-commerce store that delivers food items to customers. This online food grocer also encourages customers to include imperfect produce, like gourmet ugly vegetables, in shopping carts. Oddbox is a subscription-based service like Misfit Market, albeit it focuses more on food surpluses and rescued ingredients. Oddbox delivers orders to customers and provides reports of how each order helps cut food waste and carbon emissions.
Rubies in the Rubble is another UK-based company providing creative food waste solutions. This company produces condiments and uses gourmet ugly vegetables and fruits as ingredients. The most popular products by Rubies and Rubble are vegan mayonnaises and ketchups. There was also a recent report of Bristol’s Fairfield High School starting a chutney production initiative that uses surplus produce.
In the United States, there are multiple programs that recruit volunteers to glean harvest leftovers. Farms, backyard fruit trees, farmers’ markets and wholesale markets are some of the places where volunteers of these gleaning programs prospect. Usually, the rescued produce is often taken to local food banks, reducing the volume that goes to waste. Food Forward, The Gleaning Network of Texas, Harvest Pierce County’s Gleaning Project, and Boston Area Gleaners are some of the well-known initiatives in this category.
Creative Culinary Transformations
When folks have access to an unlimited supply of produce at a local food bank, or when a particular fruit is in season, it may go to waste in home stashes. In such situations, it is best to adopt creative food waste solutions that may include some transformations.
Deploying ugly produce recipes at home could involve processing ugly tomatoes into homemade pasta sauce. That’s much better than watching the tomatoes going soggy in the fridge. Also, ugly fruit benefits will shine through when used in smoothies, pickles, jams, and soups. These are just a few methods for reducing food waste at home with imperfect produce recipes.
ALSO READ: How the ‘Farm to Table’ Movement Is Changing Restaurants
People must understand that fighting food waste does not have to be synonymous with sacrificing quality flavor. With ugly produce recipes, you could produce delicious dishes. Making French fries with malformed potatoes does not make their taste worse.
Every time you choose imperfect produce, you’re not just saving money — you’re saving resources and helping to reshape our food system.
