Loblaws Inc. will soon begin test-marketing second-rate
produce at discounts of about 30 per cent.
Ir says it’s a response to Wal-Mart which is already selling
produce such as crooked carrots and misshapen peppers, but there are others
doing it, such as the Food Basics banner owned by Metro Inc.
It also comes after the Ontario government adopted
legislation enabling farmers to claim charitable donations for partial value of
second-rate produce donated to food banks.
The supermarket chains have long faced criticism for
insisting that the produce they offer be free of any blemishes. That means they
reject produce that is equally nutritious and increases costs for producers and
distributors.
