Asda to trial misshapen veg as Jamie Oliver criticises food waste

Supermarket Asda is to trial selling misshapen fruit and vegetables at a discount price after working with TV chef Jamie Oliver, who has described the amount of food waste in the UK as “bordering on criminal”.

The initiative featured in a new series of Jamie & Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast. In the programme Oliver and Jimmy Doherty met with farmers who say they are unable to sell large amounts of fresh vegetables to supermarkets because they are deemed ugly, creating a huge amount of waste.

Oliver said, “If most Brits had half an idea of the amount going to waste, they’d be snapping up ugly veg by the trolley load.

“There’s no difference whatsoever in taste or nutritional value. This is perfectly good food that could and should be eaten by humans. When half a million people in the UK are relying on food banks, this waste isn’t just bonkers – it’s bordering on criminal.”

Past research from Global Food Security in the UK suggested that up to 40% of edible food never even arrives in shops because of its apparent ‘ugliness’. Globally it is estimated that up to half of food produced is wasted.

From January 26, Asda will begin to sell its ‘Beautiful on the Inside’ range at five stores. The produce will be bagged separately and be sold at a lower price in a bid to improve public awareness.

Tesco has also previously stated plans to sell misshapen or ugly fruit and vegetables at a discounted price in order to educate customers and cut down food waste.

Photo: Matt Werner via Flickr 

Further reading:

Tackling food waste on World Food Day – infographic

Grocery sector launches campaign to tackle household food waste

Tackle food waste to tackle inequality, government report says

World needs to sustainably produce 70% more food by 2050

Campaign aims to end food waste from landfill by 2020