This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: There's a paradox that drives the shopping decisions of many Americans: Almost three-quarters say they're feeling stressed out about skyrocketing grocery bills. But they keep discarding large quantities of food that's safe to eat, from crooked carrots to surplus yogurt to "best before" items pulled from shelves early.
Overall, the U.S. government estimates that 30% to 40% of all food—from consumers, retailers and producers—is thrown out. That's not just a massive missed opportunity for people experiencing food insecurity, but it's also a significant contribution to global warming. According to the United Nations, 8%–10% of carbon emissions globally result from food waste.
In recent years, however, a market to rescue discarded groceries and repurpose food scraps and byproducts has grown dramatically. This ranges from marketing "ugly" produce to appeal to more consumers to upcycling food byproducts. I study how consumers evaluate product value and quality, and my research suggests that American shoppers are much less fixated on prices or environmental impact.
Instead, they care about quality. Even when perfectly good "misfit" produce is deeply discounted, for example, many shoppers assume that the low price reflects poor quality and either walk away or reach for a fruit or vegetable they think looks better. What does this mean for reducing food waste and shedding these purchasing biases?
My research has found that smarter and more effective labeling can make a big difference. A discount or promise of lower carbon emissions isn't enough by itself—people have to believe the food is good first. A whole retail sector is now dedicated to marketing misfit food.
"Ugly produce" delivery companies like Hungry Harvest and Misfits Market are rescuing and reselling food to shoppers who want to save and reduce their carbon footprint. Misfits Market alone has rescued more than 265 million pounds (about 120 million kilos) of food since 2018 and sells it at an average discount of 35%. Another example is Too Good To Go, an app that sells "surprise" bags of surplus food at about one-third of the retail price.
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