Delhaize begins selling “ugly veggies”

Delhaize supermarkets are to begin selling boxes of “ugly vegetables” in an effort to tackle the problem of food waste.

Ugly vegetables are those that do not correspond to our modern requirements of regularity of shape, size or colour, but which nevertheless meet the supermarket’s standards of quality and freshness, Delhaize spokesperson Roel Dekelver explained.

In a pilot project lasting 14 weeks and involving 16 stores, Delhaize will sell ugly vegetables in 2.5kg boxes for a flat price of €3.99. The case contains a selection of vegetables according to the market of the day, all grown in Belgium. The supermarkets involved include stores in Brussels.

“It’s not a coincidence that Delhaize is the first supermarket to offer these products,” Dekelver said. “Delhaize has been fighting food waste for years, not just by giving away unsold products but also by ensuring that vegetables that may not look perfect still find their way to the consumer. Every year a third of food produced is not consumed. A large proportion of malformed vegetables don’t get used in the conventional food chain. We want to do something about that.”