Meet the people getting 'ugly' food onto plates and away from the bin

Fruit and vegetables, which don't always take kindly to over-handling, are notorious for undergoing a strict process of aesthetic filtering in order to be sold in supermarkets. Assistant Professor of Psychology at NTU Kenichi Ito says supermarkets place specific requirements on local farmers regarding colour, size, and shape of produce; and consumers are less likely to buy "ugly products" that they find unappealing to eat. In his opinion, it could be related to the 'beautiful is good' stereotype. People tend to ascribe positive feelings and good quality to aesthetically beautiful people, although their looks are not associated with quality. Such stereotypes could apply to fruit and vegetables.

Read the article here.