I'm amazed that 20% of fruit and veg has been wasted due to EU Regs that are now being dropped!

What say you?

[url=]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/3443343/EU-to-allow-sale-of-odd-shaped-fruit-and-vegetables.html[url=][/url][/url]

Yes, it is ridiculous but unfortunately we cannot remove the part of the brain that makes supermarket shoppers equally picky about cleaned, packaged and uniform veg :-)

:-) give me mud, funny shapes and preferably locally grown any day!

I've actually grown a lot of own veg this year, but usually source from local farmers.
It just seems so mad to waste so much food!
And don't even get me started on the prepacked, ready chopped veg - drives me wild! lol

The thing is even when they change the law will it have any effect especially on the fruit / veg we get in supermarkets.  One problem is that the supermarket like uniform size and shape eg if all the cucumbers are the same and not bent they are much easy to package which is important for the supermarkets.  The other thing is that a whole generation of shoppers have grown up with standard, uniform veg will they actually buy them if they are funny shapes or blemished?

The problem we have is no real veg shops around, I do grow some stuff but our local is Sainsbury's or the Saturday market in the city.

I much prefer veg shaped veg, rather than plasticy looking uniformly shaped veg

We are lucky to have a good farm shop that has opened recently, and a great greengrocers near where I work.

Does anyone else find that veg with a light coating of soil stays fresher for a lot longer than that scrubbed claen supermarket veg?

And don't even get me started about the taste difference :-)

Claire

> Does anyone else find that veg with a light coating of soil stays fresher for a lot longer than that scrubbed claen supermarket veg?
>

Definitely Claire, and possibly due to the fact that some of the veg in supermarkets is partially (if not totally, am not sure) frozen to keep it 'fresh' during transit.

> Does anyone else find that veg with a light coating of soil stays fresher for a lot longer than that scrubbed claen supermarket veg?
>

Definately.  It helps protect them from light which is one of the factors determining decay.

The dirtier and wonkier the better for my veg :-)

Just like when its pulled fresh from the ground in the garden or allotment. You cant beat it :-)