In an attempt to reduce food waste, several Swedish retailers have decided to sell "ugly" fruit and vegetables as well as food that is approaching its expiry date.
In other parts of Europe, "ugly" fruit and vegetables have been sold in regular stores for a few years.
“The giant French food chain Intermarche had a great campaign for ugly food a year and a half ago,” said Louise Ungerth, director of the Stockholm Coop.
“And when I was in London in 2014 many stores had ugly fruit and vegetables in their basic range. For example misshapen carrots and potatoes with discoloured skin. The ugly potatoes were marketed as excellent for mashed potatoes,” Ungerth told the Swedish TT news agency.
According to Coop, 15 to 30 percent of fruit and vegetables are discarded before they reach shops, simply because of their appearance.
Some of this “ugly” stock will soon be sold for a reduced price in selected Swedish Coop stores.
This autumn will also see a new discount food store open, as Axfood launches a store in Stockholm in cooperation with the Stockholm Stadsmission (Stockholm City Mission).
There, old food, near its expiry date, will be sold. The prices will be up to 70 percent lower, but shoppers will need a special membership card in order to shop there, to prove that they have a higher need than others for discounted products.
