Shoppers turn to 'imperfect produce' as grocery prices rise

With prices soaring and budgets stretched, consumers are turning increasingly to so-called imperfect food to save on produce that a fresh crop of online grocers says is just as tasty — if a little gnarled.

Workers at the online grocer sort and pack containers with these rejects and misfits — tentacled carrots, scarred bananas, bulbous potatoes — for home deliveries across southern Ontario.

“The goal is helping people eat better, save money and fight food waste all at the same time,” said Anna Stegink, who founded Eat Impact in late 2022.

With prices soaring and budgets stretched, consumers are turning increasingly to so-called imperfect food to save on produce that a fresh crop of online grocers says is just as tasty — if a little gnarled.