Comments on: Imperfection Appreciated http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/ a look at how America squanders nearly half of its food Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:16:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Jonathan http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53891 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:46:00 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53891 You may be right, silly, but the rules still cause(d) to great amounts of waste, as documented by the BBC et al. If what you say is true, I'm guessing that the rules do/did effect a majority of produce because so many items are imported from different countries and continents. You may be right, silly, but the rules still cause(d) to great amounts of waste, as documented by the BBC et al. If what you say is true, I’m guessing that the rules do/did effect a majority of produce because so many items are imported from different countries and continents.

]]> by: silly. http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53888 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:28:41 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53888 It's not illegal to sell non conforming veggies in the EU! Let's not exaggerate... Issue was related to cross border trade. When one country wanted to trade "cucumbers", everyone had to agree what a cucumber was. Thus the introduction of standards for trading 'cucumbers' with in the community. So you couldn't sell Spanish cucumbers that didn't conform to say France. You could sell them in Spain. (ie. with the country they were produced. These regulations only relate to the veggies that are listed. If you grow say "Nostradamus" cucumbers then these regulations don't apply. It’s not illegal to sell non conforming veggies in the EU! Let’s not exaggerate… Issue was related to cross border trade. When one country wanted to trade “cucumbers”, everyone had to agree what a cucumber was. Thus the introduction of standards for trading ‘cucumbers’ with in the community. So you couldn’t sell Spanish cucumbers that didn’t conform to say France. You could sell them in Spain. (ie. with the country they were produced. These regulations only relate to the veggies that are listed. If you grow say “Nostradamus” cucumbers then these regulations don’t apply.

]]> by: Dan Livingston http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53738 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:53:42 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53738 Actually, one of the causes of some of the food bank and pantry closings around the country has been the commodification of formerly "unmarketable" food items, such as dented cans and unshapeley produce. For our part, we glean a substantial amount of produce and save a substantial amount of cans because the Enhanced Tax Deductions for Properly Donating Food have usually trumped the possible profits gained through selling these "undesirable" food items. So really, you'd be at the cutting edge of the market right now if you were putting that surplus to use, and you may also be cutting the legs out from under your local hunger relief organization. Peace and Love, Dan Actually, one of the causes of some of the food bank and pantry closings around the country has been the commodification of formerly “unmarketable” food items, such as dented cans and unshapeley produce. For our part, we glean a substantial amount of produce and save a substantial amount of cans because the Enhanced Tax Deductions for Properly Donating Food have usually trumped the possible profits gained through selling these “undesirable” food items. So really, you’d be at the cutting edge of the market right now if you were putting that surplus to use, and you may also be cutting the legs out from under your local hunger relief organization.
Peace and Love,
Dan

]]> by: Jonathan http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53273 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:03:40 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53273 Shorty, have your people call my people. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/09/magazine/09wwln-safire-t.html?ref=magazine" rel="nofollow">Let's do this</a>. Shorty, have your people call my people. Let’s do this.

]]> by: shorty http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53240 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:13:43 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53240 I wonder if there is a new business opportunity here - someone buy out all the "unfavorable" produce and sell it to those of us who are perfectly happy with PRODUCE. (GRIN) (rubs chin) I wonder if there is a new business opportunity here - someone buy out all the “unfavorable” produce and sell it to those of us who are perfectly happy with PRODUCE. (GRIN)

(rubs chin)

]]> by: Fr. Peter http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53224 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:35:56 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53224 I heard the news on the radio recently and could not have been more delighted. Having been campaigning against these pathetic and immoral regulations it was a great relief to see that they will, eventually, be dumped. Many of us will, of course, still be working towards the scrapping of the entire ludicrous fruit and veg size and shape regulations. EU bureaucrats, do you know that in the world people are starving to death and yet you demand that food is thrown away because it's the wrong shape? Does the EU have any regulations for the conscience of its officials I wonder... it would seem not! Blessings from the UK I heard the news on the radio recently and could not have been more delighted. Having been campaigning against these pathetic and immoral regulations it was a great relief to see that they will, eventually, be dumped.

Many of us will, of course, still be working towards the scrapping of the entire ludicrous fruit and veg size and shape regulations.

EU bureaucrats, do you know that in the world people are starving to death and yet you demand that food is thrown away because it’s the wrong shape? Does the EU have any regulations for the conscience of its officials I wonder… it would seem not!

Blessings from the UK

]]> by: esther http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53216 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:38:31 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53216 I was so amazed when I saw this at the news yesterday! I never thought that this happened, nor that 20% of the food, was just thrown away, instead of feeding the poor! what's next, we throw away people that come in weird sizes and shapes? I was so amazed when I saw this at the news yesterday! I never thought that this happened, nor that 20% of the food, was just thrown away, instead of feeding the poor! what’s next, we throw away people that come in weird sizes and shapes?

]]> by: ugly food is illegal « porch school of anthropology http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53188 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:30:28 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53188 [...] November 14, 2008 Horrifying ethnographic tidbit! Apparently in the EU it’s illegal to sell produce in non-standard shapes. Regulations are being “relaxed” — but only on 25% of produce. Why, European regulators, why? (Thank Jonathan at the blog “Wasted Food” for leading to horrifying gasps from my station in the library.) Posted by grocerylists Filed in Uncategorized [...] […] November 14, 2008 Horrifying ethnographic tidbit! Apparently in the EU it’s illegal to sell produce in non-standard shapes. Regulations are being “relaxed” — but only on 25% of produce. Why, European regulators, why? (Thank Jonathan at the blog “Wasted Food” for leading to horrifying gasps from my station in the library.) Posted by grocerylists Filed in Uncategorized […]

]]> by: Danielle http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53168 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:54:12 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53168 Any comments on the impact this has on costs of shipping, packaging etc? The imperfect shaped items could hold up conveyor belts, or make it harder to get uniform weight into a package for bulk sale. Any comments on the impact this has on costs of shipping, packaging etc? The imperfect shaped items could hold up conveyor belts, or make it harder to get uniform weight into a package for bulk sale.

]]> by: Kristen@thefrugalgirl http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53157 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:22:31 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2008/11/13/imperfection-appreciated/#comment-53157 I certainly wouldn't mind buying less-than-uniform produce. What a shame that we throw away food only because of its shape. I certainly wouldn’t mind buying less-than-uniform produce. What a shame that we throw away food only because of its shape.

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