Heng Zhang Min, Lee Si Xian, Rupanshi Chugh, Toh Huang En, Yeo Ying De
Academic Advisor: Dr. Chua Siew Chin
Industry Advisor: Sodexo
Whenever we go shopping for groceries, we place enormous amounts of emphasis on the appearance of food products, completely neglecting ugly fruits and vegetables, as though they are not nutritious. This behaviour is not only observed in consumers, but even food importers who reject food based on appearances. Our project examines the current state of ugly produce in Singapore and attempts to understand the general perceptions of wholesalers and consumers towards them. Through the use of surveys, observational studies and interviews, we aim to investigate the perceptions of Singaporean wholesalers and consumers towards ugly produce, as well as the possible effectiveness of pricing to influence consumers’ purchasing habits. From our study, we question the assumption that ugly fruits and vegetables are present in Singapore and emphasise that “ugly” is a highly subjective concept.
Keywords: Food waste, ugly food, cosmetic filtering, pasir panjang wholesales market, consumer perception