It still tastes good and provides the same nutrition, so why not? Besides, it helps to know that choosing unattractive produce can help the environment by preventing perfectly good food from ending up in bins.”Ī post shared by Ugly Food Campaign retailers such as HeroGo, Spinneys and Kibsons are actively selling ugly produce in the UAE. “We consider it ‘ugly’ because that is how we have been conditioned. Hence, the appearance of an ingredient always dictates the first impression,” he says. Moswain Antao, a home cook who lives in Dubai, purchases his produce from the local Farmer’s Market Bay Avenue. In-the-know consumers realise that ugly produce is just as delicious, great for the environment and often cheaper than regular produce. Considering the average person in the UAE wastes about 197 kilograms of food annually, “rescuing” ugly food can make a huge difference. The UAE is on a mission to reduce its food waste by 50 per cent by 2030. However, there has been an increasing awareness of the environmental impact of food waste in the region. ![]() When he was growing up in Nigeria, Solomon says, he was encouraged to smell and feel food to determine if it had gone stale, no matter how it looked.Ĭelebrated on October 16, to coincide with the founding date of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, World Food Day aims to tackle issues such as hunger, food security, food waste and the environmental impact of food production. As individuals, we have lost that connection to food and rely on looks and labels instead,” says Daniel F Solomon, founder of HeroGo, a delivery service for ugly fruits and vegetables in the UAE. “Ugly food does not fit our perception of what is right. One of the reasons people shy away from ugly food is they do not understand it. As in the fashion industry, anything that is too big, too small or covered with blemishes tends to be rejected.įortunately, we are at the starting line of the ugly food movement, with supermarkets around the world, including in the UAE, stocking these misshapen but perfectly good-to-eat products, often at lower prices. Consumers are conditioned to believe that oddly shaped produce is less fresh or nutritious. Cooking shows and books display blemish-free, evenly shaped and oversaturated veggies. The food industry is driven by the pursuit of perfection. ![]() And, that’s how they came across the concept of “ ugly food”. ![]() Although they looked wonky, the veggies tasted better than the ones purchased from the supermarket.Ī few weeks later, her family found similar carrots at a supermarket, labelled “imperfect and locally produced”. Mihira Sridhar, 4, was thrilled to dig out carrots and beetroots from her home garden in Dubai.
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