Fong Wei Zheng (CEG), Martyn Wong Hao Ren (CEG), Ong Jian Cheng (FoE), Tee Jun Hao (FoE), Teo Pei Yun (FASS), Yick Wan Yi (FASS)
Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari
Every year, about 65% of the global agricultural produce is lost or wasted. This is a severe issue as food production accounts for 65% of the global greenhouse gas emissions and requires extensive natural resources such as water and land. This waste is more prevalent in industrialized and medium-and-high income nations, such as Singapore. A key contributor to this waste is ‘Ugly Food’- raw produce that is rejected due to its poor visual appearance – like misshapen, discoloured or bruised fruits and vegetables. According to a survey done by Electrolux in 2015, about 83% of Singaporeans only purchase fruits and vegetables that look fresh and good, avoiding ugly food that remains largely unsold and is eventually disposed of. Their survey also showed that 75% of Singaporeans would consume ugly food if they considered it equally nutritious and delicious as other food. This shows a widespread consumer misconception about ugly food – assuming ugly food to be a source of contamination, of poor nutritional value, and a health and safety risk. Our project investigates the cause of these misconceptions in Singaporean consumers by conducting consumer surveys at NTUC FairPrice Xtra – a supermarket that sells ugly food. Our project also targets raising awareness by hosting an Ugly Food Day at Ridge View Residential College (NUS), that includes conducting a double blind test sampling of fruit juices of ‘ugly’ fruits vs normal fruits. The final aim of our project is to gather evidence to propose practical strategies to combat this problem, both on campus as well as beyond, by raising awareness and changing consumer mindsets.
Keywords: Waste Management, Food Waste, Ugly Food, Food Security, Fruits