US consumers’ perceptions of imperfect “ugly” produce

Abstract

Purpose Despite the perfect nutritional value of imperfect “ugly” produce, they are either never harvested or discarded, resulting in escalating farm-to-fork food waste problems in the USA. The purpose of this paper is to investigate US consumers’ perceptions of imperfect “ugly” produce and their willingness to purchase and consume these foods in their households. Design/methodology/approach Four focus group sessions with at least five voluntary participants per session were conducted. Each session used structured interview questions and the discussions were led by the same moderator. All sessions were recorded, transcribed and analyzed based on published focus group guidelines and recommendations. Findings The research study has revealed two categories of potential consumers, Influencers and Learners, when it comes to an initial understanding of “ugly” produce consumption. The study also identified nine themes (i.e. food safety, price sensitivity, location of sale, product display, name/label, purpose of use, fun, targeted education and food waste) that consumers hold regarding imperfect “ugly” produce. Research limitations/implications Insights from this study provide strategies for sustainable food management that could help stakeholders along all points of the food chain save money, reduce hunger and diminish food waste in our communities. Originality/value This study serves to provide preliminary insights in approaching the issue of consumers’ perception of imperfect “ugly” fruits and vegetables from a research perspective. Although a limited number of real consumers from the local community participated, their rich and in-depth qualitative responses defined the scope and the defining questions that need further exploration.

From Waste to Taste: How “Ugly” Labels Can Increase Purchase of Unattractive Produce

“…On the other hand, within the domain of fresh produce, cosmetic imperfections generally stem from nature (Grewal et al 2019); thus, there may rather be a negative correlation between attractiveness and naturalness expectations. In line with this perspective, several studies suggest that consumers expect natural, organic, and/or pesticide-free produce to be less attractive (Bunn et al 1990;Govindasamy, Italia, and Liptak 1997;Tsakiridou et al 2008;Yuan et al 2019), especially eco-conscious consumers (Loebnitz, Schuitema, and Grunert 2015). Importantly, the expectation that unattractive produce is more natural is not biased, but due to the fact that the absence of chemicals (pesticides, preservatives) results in cosmetic imperfections (Bunn et al 1990).…”

Food Banking in Reducing Food Loss and Waste

“…Bu israfın çoğu; meyve/sebzelerin şekli, boyutu, rengi, ağırlığı ve leke seviyesine ilişkin katı görünüş standartlarının takip edilmesinden kaynaklanmaktadır. Kusurlu "çirkin" meyve ve sebzeler besin değerini korumalarına rağmen, bunlar ya hasat edilmemekte ya da gıda perakendecileri bu ürünü satmak istemedikleri için hasat ve satış arasında israf edilmektedir (Yuan, Yi, Williams ve Park, 2019, s. 2667. Gıda ambalajları üzerinde yer alan tarih etiketlerinin ("Son Kullanma Tarihi" ve "Tavsiye Edilen Son Tüketim Tarihi"), tüketicilerde kafa karışıklığı yaratmasından dolayı, gıdalar tüketim tarihleri sona ermeden önce çöpe atılmakta ve bu da gıda israfının artmasına neden olmaktadır.…”

Food waste tendencies: Behavioral response to cosmetic deterioration of food

“…Self-identity of being pro-environment may not matter, but awareness of food waste issues or boosting consumers' self-perceptions may increase purchase intensions for abnormally shaped food [12,51]. Educating the public that "ugly" produce is safe to eat emerged as a critical recommendation from a series of focus groups [52]. Concerns for products' shelf life increased the avoidance of browned bananas at point of purchase [53].…”

“…Industry practices have established consumer expectations for prototypical appearances of fresh produce [12,13,14], where consumers associate quality food with visual appeal [15,16]. Consumer have shown reduced acceptance of food items that deviate significantly from the prototypical shape [12], and promotional campaigns of "ugly" fruit and vegetable have called for acceptance of fresh produce with aesthetic deviations from the norm that have developed pre-harvest [17]. Damages and blemishes that occur post-harvest and appear at the point of purchase affect consumer perception of quality and reduce purchase intensions [18,19].…”