Picture This

Imperfect produce is sold to consumers at 30 percent to 50 percent less than grocery prices.

Veteran food writer Sarah Phillips has been literally changing people’s perceptions with the launch of a 2016 Instagram campaign succinctly titled @UglyProduceisBeautiful. The glamour shots of everything from pock-marked tangerines to slightly miscolored squash have attracted more than 45,000 followers to date, and continue to expand, stoking Phillips’ mission to promote the use of imperfect produce in America. A food expert who was an early adopter of Instagram for her business, Phillips uses her stunning visuals to fuel the compelling message: “It's not too late to invoke change in the way we eat and how we eat, and what and where we buy.”

“We give imperfect produce a voice. It’s fun, delicious and has character. We all have our little imperfections, so who can’t relate to that?” – Aleks Strub, CMO, Imperfect

Her collection of online recipes transforming the imperfect into the inarguably elegant is ever-growing…check out Rainbow Vegetable Tian, and more, at www.craftybaking.com/recipe/rainbow-vegetable-tian.

“For restaurants it is a win-win: affordable produce, delicious food and support of positive changes in our food system. In most cases there isn’t a difference between ugly and perfect produce, which is the whole point! An ugly carrot looks and tastes the same chopped up, puréed or roasted.” – Katherine Miller, Senior Director for Food Policy Advocacy, James Beard Foundation