Up to 25 tons of fresh Belgian strawberries have been rescued since the sales launch in mid-June of “funky” or “crazy” strawberries, the latest products in the range of misshapen or odd-looking fruits and vegetables that have been seasonally available in all Delhaize stores for four years now, with great success.
While these produce misfits do not have a standard size or appearance, they offer the same freshness and quality as conventional fruits and vegetables yet at a slightly lower price. Delhaize thus helps its growers to sell larger volumes of products while meeting rising customer demand.
The strawberries follow the arrival earlier this season of unusual-looking apples and pears. So far, Delhaize has saved about 50,000 trays of strawberries – approximately 25 tons – with the goal to rescue 90 tons this year.
Delhaize began offering a variety of misshapen fruits and vegetables in 2015 and subsequently has sold more than 530 tons of produce that would otherwise never have reached customers’ kitchens.