Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 44 to 50.
When buying fresh fruit and vegetables, would you select a very curly cucumber, a carrot with two 'legs', or a potato with three heads? For many people, the answer is 'no' - they look for perfect produce when they go to the supermarket.
Not anymore! In France, a large supermarket chain, Intermarché, has started a marketing campaign to put ugly fruit and vegetables back on the shelves. And British TV chef Jamie Oliver has followed their lead, together with a large UK supermarket. Both the French and British supermarkets are selling their funny-shaped fruit and veg at a huge discount as an incentive for shoppers to opt for the less attractive versions.
Over the years, supermarkets have trained their customers to expect perfect fruit and veg, with many customers discarding produce that isn't 'perfect'. And until recently, there were numerous, very strict rules for supermarkets about the size and shape of fresh produce. Fortunately, there are now fewer rules, but customers need encouragement to change their shopping habits.
There is a good reason for this change in attitude. The rejection of misshapen produce results in a huge amount of waste: around 20-40% of food is thrown away before it even reaches the shops. Yet at the same time, we know that world food shortages are soon going to be a real and serious problem.
Fortunately, it looks like these brave, but common-sense supermarket campaigns are working. It seems that these campaigns are going to be profitable, as well as environmentally friendly. Other supermarkets have already experimented with the same idea, both within and outside Europe. So, next time, when you go shopping, think before you buy. After all, it's the taste that counts.
(Adapted from Gateway)
