New EU regulations come into force today which clarify the rules relating to fruit and vegetables and this means that the wonky stuff will be back on the shelves.
Twenty-six fruits and vegetables formerly governed by Specific Marketing Standards (if it doesn’t look perfect, it can’t be sold) will now be covered by the General Marketing Standard.
As long as it is clean, free from pests or diseases, is not rotten, and is labelled with the country of origin, retailers will be able to market it as they see fit. This will give more choice to the shopper and, importantly, reduce waste in the industry.
Ten other types of produce still remain subject to the stricter Specific Marketing Standards, but there is an allowance for the fruit and vegetables covered to be marketed for processing, such as into jams or pies, if they fall below the standard.