The Daily Table Tackles Food Waste: Sells Ugly, Fresh Produce for Cheap
I’m a fan of misshapen vegetables, but that’s probably because I grew up eating funky shaped veggies from my dad’s garden. And guess what – they were just as tasty the “normal” shaped vegetables. Luckily, more Americans are beginning to realize that ugly fresh produce still has a place on their plates rather than being relegated to inedible food waste. One such American is Doug Rauch, the former president of the Trader Joe’s Company and founder of the Daily Table.
According to the Atlantic, Rauch is well aware that the United States is pretty darn terrible when it comes to food waste. Through his time in the food industry, he witnessed just how much fresh produce and food is discarded because it isn’t perfect. So, to tackle this problem, Rauch is opening a grocery store called the Daily Table, which will salvage food other supermarkets, restaurants and farmers discard. (In addition, he wants to work with manufacturers to obtain goods with damaged packaging or labels with typos.) Overall, the store will operate as a nonprofit and will sell food at prices comparable to fast food.
The store will open in the Dorchester neighborhood in Boston. The Boston neighborhood is in an economically mixed area, reports Civil Eats.
While Rauch’s concept is splendid, it’s not without issue. The endeavor’s main challenge is to obtain fresh produce and to avoid any legal issues with selling it after its expiration date.
With the Daily Table, Rauch’s main goal is to help residents who live in low-income neighborhoods afford good food. To help ensure that the store succeeds, he’s met with members of the community to understand their needs.
Daily Table will sell only fruits, vegetables, canned goods, dairy products, bread, and prepared foods. (No soda, chips, candy, or processed stuff like protein bars will be sold.) The store will also feature cooking classes to teach people how to prepare their fresh goods.
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Image: NatalieMaynor
