November 24, 2008
A ‘New Dawn’ for Ugly Vegetables
Crooked carrots, rejoice! The European Union has peeled away the layer of bureaucracy that once kept cosmetically imperfect produce off store shelves. Marketing standards regarding the size and shape of 26 varieties of fruits and vegetables (complete list here) will be scrapped starting next summer. Standards will still apply to 10 of the most heavily traded types of produce, including apples, oranges and tomatoes.
Best quote from the press release: “This marks a new dawn for the curvy cucumber and the knobbly carrot.”
The European Commission says the shortened list is part of a larger effort to reduce red tape, which I applaud. And I’m sure kids will also applaud having better raw material (er, so to speak) for vegetable art projects – or am I the only one who remembers creating weird creatures like these?
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Playing with one’s food was always frowned upon in my home, but this definitely gives me something to “chew on” and/or “stew over.”