This document outlines a project to create soups and smoothies from "ugly" fruits and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste due to supermarkets' strict cosmetic standards. It estimates that 20-40% of UK produce and over half of all global food is lost this way. The project aims to make soups and smoothies from these foods for a Green Week event using recyclable packaging, with supporting documentary footage. It provides example recipes and lists next steps like testing recipes, packaging, and contacting organizations for advice. The overall goal is to inform consumers about food waste and encourage buying "ugly" produce to pressure supermarkets into stocking them.
2. Project 02: The Beauty of Food
The Problem: Part 1
An estimated 20 to 40% of UK fruit and vegetables are rejected even before
they reach the shops mostly because they do not match the supermarkets’
excessively strict cosmetic standards.- The UK Soil Association
4600 kilocalories per day of food is harvested for every person on the
planet; of these, only around 2000 on average is eaten – more than half of it
is lost on the way.
3. Project 02: The Beauty of Food
The Problem: Part 2
“Unlike what most people seem to believe the eating quality of a potato is not
indicated by skin finish but by variety and age, There’s a perception the skin
of a potato should be as pure as dripping snow – bright, shiny and defect free.
It’s an ideal that’s almost impossible to achieve.”
Tony Bambridge, managing director of B&A farming
4. Project 02: The Idea
To create Soups from the ‘ugly’ vegetables and Smoothies from the ‘ugly’ fruit
which otherwise would be wasted and to give them out at Green Week,
serving them in recycable packaging i.e plastic bottle, soup cup.
Supporting this a documentary about how we found the ‘ugly’ fruit and veg,
primary research, cooking etc
The basic ingredients for soup are potatoes, onions and vegetable stock cubes
Smoothies can be made easily using a blender, I have one here in London
5. Project 02: Example Recipes
Vegetable Soup: Strawberry & Banana Smoothie
1-2 medium sized Potato 2 cups of fresh strawberries
Variety of Vegetables; carrots 2 ripe bananas
peppers 1/2-1 cup of liquid of choice,
2 small onions organic milk, soya milk, juice or
Vegetable stock cube even water
Bit of oil
salt and pepper Blend it up and enjoy
2 cloves of garlic
Serves 4 Serves 1-2
6. Project 02: Primary Research,
What do we need to do?
Conduct tests on a selection of people
Experiment with different recipes- Cook
Give out samples get feedback
Experiment with packaging the products
Contact organisations such as ‘Fareshare’ for advice & interviews
Questionaires
Experiment with video documentary
Gather ‘ugly’ fruit and veg
Think about the logistics as a group- are we selling them?,
how much produce do we need, cost-money, time
7. Project 02: What is being/ has
been done already?
Some supermarkets are stocking ‘ugly’ fruits and vegetables
Market Stalls- selling ‘ugly’ fruits and vegetables
Previous students Green Week Project- making meals out of wasted food
Experts from these organisations:
Feeding The 5000, Abel & Cole, Love Food Hate Waste
Fareshare, Foodcycle, Company Shop Ltd
The Peoples Kitchen, Friends of the Earth
8. Project 02: Dream/Aim
“On the question of cosmetic standards it’s really simple, supermarkets
should stock fruit and vegetables in all shapes and all sizes”- Tristram Stuart
To Inform the public, target audience(consumers) about the waste of
nutritious fruits and vegetable occuring because of the cosmetic standards
that Supermarkets have and to encourage them to make more eco-friendly
choices when shopping i.e. buy a wonky carrot, putting more pressure on the
Supermarkets to sell ‘ugly’ fruit and veg.