Squawkamole
’Overpackaged’ avocados spark consumer outrage,
A photo of a pre-cut avocado wrapped in plastic and cardboard has caused the latest online outrage when it comes to excessive food packaging, pitting consumer convenience against environmental concerns.
Earlier this month, the Twitterverse exploded over an image of a peeled orange in a plastic container sold at Whole Foods.
In 2012, online outcry led a grocery store in Austria to apologize and remove pre-peeled, plastic-wrapped bananas from shelves.
Avocados, oranges and bananas already grow their own protective peel. Online users expressed anger at what they said is unnecessary and wasteful plastic packaging.
Last week, Vancouver resident Christine Kizik posted a photo of a $3.99 pre-cut avocado on the Facebook page of Canadian grocer Sobeys Inc., saying she was “surprised and disappointed.”
“Avocado’s (sic) have their own perfect, compostable wrapping. Adding packaging to an avocado is strange to say the least,” she wrote.
She said the photo was taken at a Sobeys in Thornhill, Ont., by a friend, but it was her comment that prompted so much attention.
The post has been shared hundreds of times and received more than 100 comments.
Sobeys responded, posting on Facebook: “Thanks for sharing this with us Christine. This product was developed for people who might be new to using avocados and for a little more convenience. It eliminates the guess work when it comes to ripeness and any challenges if you are not familiar with peeling and seeding a fresh avocado. The packaging is there to keep the fresh wholesome appearance and quality of the avocado without it browning prior to consumption.”
The response garnered a flurry of angry social media posts.
“That is such a load of crock,” Mari- on Alyson Prokop posted.
Other comments ranged from criticizing the store for selling the product to failing to educate consumers on how to cut an avocado to criticizing buyers for being lazy.
“Dear Sobeys, I hope you are planting trees and cleaning the ocean of this plastic too,” a user named Pete Soltesz wrote.
Ahandful of users have pointed out that foods such as the pre-cut avocado and pre-peeled orange make preparing food easier for people who may have limited mobility.
“Also useful for people with disabilities who may have trouble opening avocados! I support this product,” Sabrina Scott commented on the avocado thread.
But it appears those customers are not the intended market for the Whole Foods orange, since the retailer later tweeted a photo of peeled oranges stored in mason jars, which have twist-off lids, with the label “is this more a-peeling?”
Ing Wong-Ward, associate director of the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto, said the cost of prepeeled foods would be more of a hindrance than physical access for those with mobility issues and who qualify for government benefits.
“A pre-peeled orange is expensive. Many people would not be able to afford it.”
Whole Foods promised to pull the oranges from store shelves. Sobeys told the Star on Tuesday that the avocado was part of a pilot program in select Ontario stores.
“As with other cut fruit and vegetables we offer at Sobeys, our goal is to provide convenience and choice to cater to the needs of our customers. In addition, this product ensures the ripeness of an avocado; customers can consume the avocado immediately,” said spokeswoman Vicki Leung.
“This product, like all others we introduce, will be reviewed and reevaluated to determine whether it will become part of our regular offering,” Leung said.
Kizik said in a Facebook message she had no idea her comment would get so much attention. She and her family are trying to cut back on the waste they generate and the plastic wrapping seemed like a “giant step backwards.”
“I’m happy that people are thinking about it though, and happy to see so much support from the public who seem to share similar concerns,” she said.