BALTIMORE, MD - A new market is being infiltrated by a peculiar looking array of fruits and veggies. Robinson Fresh is bringing its unique Misfits™ produce line to SHOPPERS FOOD & PHARMACY® grocery stores in Baltimore, Maryland, and with it, lower prices, and reduced product waste.

“We understand there is produce left in the field because farmers don’t think there is a market for it,” says Hunter Winton, Robinson Fresh General Manager of the West. “With the Misfits program, farmers have an outlet to sell more produce and customers have an opportunity to save money and help reduce waste.”

According to a press release, the United Nations estimates between 20 to 40 percent of produce harvested each year is thrown away for not meeting strict sizing standards required by store shelves. Misfits works with retailers like Shoppers to broaden the array of shapes and sizes accepted in stores, thereby curbing necessary waste and aligning with USDA’s goal of reducing food waste by 50 percent by the year 2030.

“It’s important to our company and it’s important to our customers that we find sustainable business solutions at a lower cost,” adds Mike Patterson, Shoppers Food & Pharmacy director of Produce. “We’re still providing consistent quality and taste, but these vegetables might look a little different than what’s normally on our shelves.”

Robinson Fresh’s Misfits program was designed to help unite consumers with perfectly delicious, but imperfectly formed, fruits and vegetables at a reduced price. Every week, the company says four to six seasonally available Misfit commodities will be delivered to shoppers. Collaborating with a handful of select retailers who align with the goals of the program, Robinson Fresh will then be selling Misfits at a 30 percent discount on average.

Here’s Robinson Fresh’s mission of a world with less food waste and more delicious fresh produce!

Robinson Fresh