In this day of busy schedules and little time for grocery shopping, food delivery services are growing in popularity. But what about a food delivery service that brings so-called “ugly produce” to your door?
Grocery stores have a very high standard of aesthetic look for their produce, which some items don’t always meet. However, some food delivery services are working to reduce waste, something they say is good for the planet and for farmers, according to Good Morning America.
Dr. Beth Mitcham, researcher at UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, was recently featured in a GMA piece on this very topic.
Mitcham compared items from an ugly produce delivery service and how the items may differ from those seen in traditional grocery stores.
She found that nectarines in the produce delivery box were slightly smaller than store-bought ones.
“Size is a big one for grading fruit, and small fruit is really hard to sell because most buyers don’t want it,” Mitcham said in the GMA piece. “Sometimes, small fruit is going to taste just as good.”
The limes in the delivered box were also greener than those in the store, but Mitcham said that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. In contrast, the delivery limes were also heavy, meaning they had a lot of juice in them.
Several test customers who had ugly produce delivered to their doors were also featured in the GMA article. Most of them expected the produce to be more awkward looking, but in fact, there wasn’t much of a difference than that found in the store.
“I think for the customer, it’s a good deal,” Mitcham said of the delivery services. “And of course, it’s something you feel good about buying. To me, it says, ‘This is something worth trying.’”
GMA also looked at the cost of a delivery service compared to store-bought produce. All items from the boxes were weighed and similar items were bought in the store.
“Even with delivery built into the cost, all three ugly produce services were less expensive than the store,” GMA reported.
So it might be worth checking out the so-called ugly produce delivery services. It helps reduce waste while possibly helping you keep more money in your pocket.
