by Mong Palatino
A social-media campaign is calling on Singaporeans to reduce their food waste by buying and using so-called “ugly food” — food products that are visually unappealing.
According to the National Environment Agency, Singapore generated 788.6 million kilograms of food waste in 2014. This is roughly the size of 1,500 Olympic-size swimming pools, or the equivalent of about two bowls of food per person per day, all year long.
Meanwhile, a consumer survey revealed that 83 percent of respondents said they would only purchase fruits and vegetables that look fresh and good, while 52 percent said they would most likely avoid purchasing “ugly food,” such as bruised, misshapen, or discolored fruits and vegetables, plus off-cuts of meat.
For Eugene Tay of Zero Waste SG, discarding “ugly food” contributes to the country’s waste problem:
For a long time, cosmetic filtering of ugly food is a problem. Ugly food is still food, and a lot of resources go into growing the food. If we throw it away just because it doesn’t look nice, then I think we are wasting these resources.
To remind consumers about the importance of reducing food waste, there’s a new campaign urging Singaporeans to rethink their perception of “ugly food.” Some chefs have even submitted simple recipes explaining how to cook “ugly food,” instead of throwing it away.
Internet users are being encouraged to post photos of “ugly food” and emphasize the need to reduce food waste. This social-media campaign uses the hashtags #happyplateSG and #uglyisthenewgood.
Below are some of the “ugly foods” photographed by Singaporeans.
