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'Ugly' food gaining acceptance in Singapore but more education needed, businesses say
SINGAPORE: Ms Denise Wong was saddened when UglyFood, a local online grocer selling blemished and surplus produce, announced its closure earlier this month."There isn't a replacement (because) the whole concept is that we are saving food that would otherwise be discarded," said Ms Wong.
She used to patronise UglyFood on a weekly or fortnightly basis, and cited the variety of produce and "really good deals" as reasons for her support.
"(It was) good to know the food wasn't being dumped," said Ms Wong, who would plan meals around the deals on offer and supplement with groceries from other shops.
UglyFood, which started in 2016 as a school project, said on social media that it was winding up as it was "unable to raise the funds required to grow further".
Co-founder Augustine Tan declined to elaborate on the challenges the business was facing when approached by CNA.
The company's closure raises questions about how far consumers in Singapore are willing to accept imperfect foods, which could help to reduce food waste from products rejected for cosmetic reasons.
UglyFood had a stated mission of reducing food waste, which is one of Singapore's largest waste streams, with 817,000 tonnes generated in 2021.
The Government is targeting a 30 per cent reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfill by 2030. Food waste accounts for about 12 per cent of total waste generated in Singapore, according to the National Environment Agency.
