Comments on: Skin-deep Waste http://www.wastedfood.com/2007/09/05/skin-deep-waste/ a look at how America squanders nearly half of its food Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:09:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Michelle http://www.wastedfood.com/2007/09/05/skin-deep-waste/#comment-7824 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 05:09:19 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2007/09/05/skin-deep-waste/#comment-7824 The market on the corner wraps bruised and ripe fruits and veggies for $.49. Sometimes I'll get a package with a tomato or two, banana's, necterines, a zucchini....ya never know what's your gonna get... The market on the corner wraps bruised and ripe fruits and veggies for $.49. Sometimes I’ll get a package with a tomato or two, banana’s, necterines, a zucchini….ya never know what’s your gonna get…

]]> by: Jonathan http://www.wastedfood.com/2007/09/05/skin-deep-waste/#comment-6523 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:11:57 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2007/09/05/skin-deep-waste/#comment-6523 The answer, Rachel, is blowing in the wind... It's a great question. Some supermarkets do, in fact, have discount produce racks. Yet other stores have told me that their brand is so focused on freshness, they don't want to have anything 'not fresh' in the store. So a reduced produce area would give shoppers the wrong message. I think this is silly, but that's how some stores think. In my mind, having a half-price area would reinforce the message that anything in the regular produce racks are as fresh as can be. The answer, Rachel, is blowing in the wind…

It’s a great question. Some supermarkets do, in fact, have discount produce racks. Yet other stores have told me that their brand is so focused on freshness, they don’t want to have anything ‘not fresh’ in the store. So a reduced produce area would give shoppers the wrong message.

I think this is silly, but that’s how some stores think. In my mind, having a half-price area would reinforce the message that anything in the regular produce racks are as fresh as can be.

]]> by: Rachel http://www.wastedfood.com/2007/09/05/skin-deep-waste/#comment-6520 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:35:41 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2007/09/05/skin-deep-waste/#comment-6520 While I agree with all of this in principle, another section of blame also lies with the sellers of products. Yes, they weed out imperfect items because consumers will not buy them, but some consumers, like myself, might be willing to purchase less-than-perfect produce if it were priced accordingly. I as a consumer with limited resources am unwilling to pay the same price for a bag of bruised or partially crushed peaches as I would for perfect peaches because the quality is less. This goes even more so for fruit that is partially spoiled. If I purchase fruit or vegetables and after getting them home some get a little moldy, I have no problem cutting off the spoiled portion and eating the rest, but I'm not interested in lining the pockets of the purveyor for food I can only eat a portion of. There should be some cooperation between consumers and sellers on this front. Why not have an imperfect fruit bin along with the other less-than-ideal products that are often put on clearance? Why can I buy a can with the label half missing at a discount but not a bruised apple? While I agree with all of this in principle, another section of blame also lies with the sellers of products. Yes, they weed out imperfect items because consumers will not buy them, but some consumers, like myself, might be willing to purchase less-than-perfect produce if it were priced accordingly. I as a consumer with limited resources am unwilling to pay the same price for a bag of bruised or partially crushed peaches as I would for perfect peaches because the quality is less. This goes even more so for fruit that is partially spoiled. If I purchase fruit or vegetables and after getting them home some get a little moldy, I have no problem cutting off the spoiled portion and eating the rest, but I’m not interested in lining the pockets of the purveyor for food I can only eat a portion of. There should be some cooperation between consumers and sellers on this front. Why not have an imperfect fruit bin along with the other less-than-ideal products that are often put on clearance? Why can I buy a can with the label half missing at a discount but not a bruised apple?

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