An ugly pepper

Mishapen fruit and vegetables often never make it to our shops. Tory MP Laura Sandys wants to change consumer attitudes and end the waste

Strange shaped fruit and vegetables are rarely seen in today’s modern supermarkets. Over the years the big retailers have set ever higher standards for the cosmetic appearance of our food.

Now Thanet South MP, Laura Sandys, wants to set up a company to specifically to market so called ugly food.

She said: “We have had very cheap food in the UK for many years. In some ways this has driven us to value it much less. So while we don’t pay much for our food it costs us more money to produce it.”

The MP has been discussing the issue with farmers to see why some food is rejected.

She said: “You see the most amazing reasons. For example an apple that may not have enough red on one side or two much green on the other.

“These apples do get used in things like apple juice but obviously at a much lower value. Why should an apple that has not enough red or green not be acceptable when it tastes exactly the same?”

The MP estimates that between 10-20 per cent of our food can be rejected but argues it is also more costly for producers who have to insure it meets the stringent standards set by big retailers.

She said: “They are spending more time and money insuring this food is absolutely beautiful which in itself is wasteful.”

Mrs Sandys wants to set up a company to market the food under the ‘ugly’ brand.

She said: “I am going to be speaking to the National Farmers Union and the British Retail Consortium to see if I can work with them as partners and take this forward. Having the word ugly is important as part of the brand because it is also a message as well.”

And the MP does not rule out the ugly food being sold on supermarket shelves.

She said: “Once the brand is established it can go into any outlet you wish. I would like to see it in supermarkets but we would also be looking at smaller retailers and wholesalers who may end up selling it to places like restaurants.”

The MP is not restricting the idea just to fruit and vegetables. She also says it could be used to market fish such as Pollock which is often considered less marketable than Cod or Haddock. It could also be used to sell meats that have fallen out of fashion with the modern consumer.

She said: “Things like kidneys and liver can be delicious but they are rejected because we have stopped understanding how to cook them.”

Most importantly the scheme would be part of trying to reduce ever increasing food bills and help to make the country less reliant on expensive imports.

The MP said: “We are the largest importer of food in the developed world and one of the reasons we have had high inflation is because commodity prices have gone up when the pound is weak. We are very reliant on imports. We really need a culture change when it comes to our food. It is rising in price which is obviously not desirable for families, so we are going to have to value everything that we grow more.”