What to do with ‘Misfits’

   Consumers often base their purchases of fresh produce on appearance. Unfortunately, those fruits and vegetables with minor bumps, scuffs, bruises, and deformities end up left behind in farmers’ fields to rot.
   According to the United Nations, between 20 and 40 percent of produce harvested each year is thrown away because it does not meet sizing standards for store shelves. Realizing this tremendous and costly waste, retailers and their customers are increasingly accepting visually imperfect fruits and vegetables, dubbed “Misfits,” among their produce purchases.
   In most cases, the less-than-perfect appearance of the fruit or vegetable has no bearing on its overall taste and, after it’s been prepared for eating, no one knows any different.
   One such food retailers to embrace fruit and vegetable Misfits is Shoppers Food and Pharmacy grocery stores in Baltimore. Robinson Fresh will handle misshapen produce on behalf of Shoppers. The benefit to the customer is that they still have access to tasty produce, but at a reduced price.
   “We understand there is produce left in the field because farmers don’t think there is a market for it,” said Hunter Winton, general manager of Robinson Fresh’s West region. “With the Misfits program, farmers have an outlet to sell more produce and customers have an opportunity to save money and help reduce waste.”
   In accepting less cosmetically-pleasing produce on Shoppers’ shelves, the company is also aligning with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s goal to reduce food waste 50 percent by the year 2030.
   Each week, four to six Misfits-branded commodities are delivered to Shoppers, based on what is seasonally available. Misfit produce is sold on average at a 30 percent discount.
   Robinson Fresh is collaborating with a handful of other retailers who are also interested in participating in the Misfits program.