Ugly fruits and vegetables : an anti-waste solution

We often hear “the product has to look good to sell”.

But does the taste show? Spoiler: no

Every day, tons of ugly fruit and vegetables are put aside, to be thrown away, simply because they don't meet aesthetic standards. What if we stopped judging appearances and started consuming better ?

Why do we talk about “beautiful” and “ugly”?

A “beautiful” fruit is often a perfectly calibrated, round, smooth product with no visible defects. In short, a fruit standardized to please the eye. The visual codes imposed by supermarkets, advertisements and impeccable stalls dictate that a tomato must be symmetrical or an apple smooth and shiny.

An “ugly” fruit or vegetable, on the other hand, is a crooked carrot, a blotchy apple or a misshapen tomato. These are purely visual irregularities, but they in no way alter their taste or nutritional quality.

👉 What we call “ugly” is just produce that has grown... with a little more freedom.

Taste can't be seen... but it can be defended

Irregular fruit is not a fruit that fails. It's often a more authentic product, sometimes even tastier:

✅ A tomato that has ripened naturally will have more flavor.

✅ A spotted apple may be juicier because it's less processed.

✅ A twisted carrot may have grown in more vibrant soil, free from harsh chemicals.

These so-called “ugly” products have nothing to envy from supermarket standards. Quite the contrary, in fact.

 

The real problem: food waste

Every year, thousands of tonnes of fruit and vegetables are discarded as soon as they are harvested, because they don't meet the visual criteria for distribution. Yet they are perfectly edible.

This waste begins long before the consumer :

• at the grower's, who doesn't even harvest some produce that isn't pretty enough,

• from the distributor, who sorts them out at the entrance to the warehouses,

• from the retailer, who wants “perfect” stalls

  
  

What if we stopped imposing this perfection? Buying, cooking or selling ugly products reduces waste, enhances the value of producers' work and encourages more responsible consumption.

Buying ugly products : a responsible act

Today, there are a growing number of initiatives to make the most of these imperfect but delicious products, such as anti-gaspi baskets, applications that save unsold produce, and chains that offer “out-of-calibre” products at reduced prices. All these approaches help to reduce food waste, support producers and do something for the planet. What's more, the taste is still there at a more affordable price.

How about a change of perspective?

What if we stopped associating beauty with quality ? What if, at last, we trusted our taste buds rather than our pupils?

👉 Eating ugly fruit and vegetables is not a compromise. It's about making an informed, ethical and tasty choice.