CANADIAN ‘ UGLY’ PRODUCE GETTING PLENTY OF VEGGIE LOVING, TOO
A f armers’ co- operative based in southern Alberta is making a big impact south of the border. Misfits’ “ugly” produce is now available in 300 U. S. stores, making it “the most expansive ugly produce program in the country,” Civil Eats reports.
Misfits started as a pilot program in 2015, selling “misshapen, blemished, irregular or just downright ugly” produce in 11 stores throughout Alberta. It was a success and Save- On- Foods, a supermarket chain across Western Canada, started selling Misfits in 2016.
Redcliff, Alta.- based produce distributor Red Hat CoOperative is behind Misfits. The co- op partnered with Robinson Fresh for its U. S. expansion, “one of the largest produce companies in the world,” according to Civil Eats. Meijer is the latest U. S. supermarket to join the program, carrying Misfits in 35 of its U.S. supermarkets.
“The brand helps make the cosmetically challenged acceptable,” Craig Arneson, general manager of Sourcing for Robinson Fresh told Civil Eats, referring to the program’s playful branding.
“A cucumber that looks like a hockey stick is no less nutritious or delicious in a salad than the perfect cucumber you see at a grocery store,” Mike Meinhardt, mar- keting and sales manager at Red Hat told Global News in an interview last year.
Canada has a big food waste problem: $ 31 billion worth of food is tossed into landfills per year, according to a 2014 report from Value Chain Management International. And research suggests that “Americans throw away almost as much food as they eat because of a ‘cult of perfection,’ ” according to the Guardian.
Why go south of the border? Civil Eats identifies several factors explaining Misfits’ and other similar programs’ success. For one, Loblaws has its own line of Naturally Imperfect fruit and vegetables. And with fewer major retailers in Canada, opportunities for expansion are limited.
“Meinhardt said it’s easier to find a retailer willing to ‘ commit and allocate shelf space’ among the many options in the U. S.,” Civil Eats reports.
In addition, Arneson told Civil Eats that Robinson Fresh identified a market for “ugly” produce in younger consumers. “Millennial buyers are showing a stronger voice in the marketplace with their dollars, and they typically trend toward food with a cause,” he said.