SCIENCE · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Market for 'Misfit' Food Grows as Americans Reduce Grocery Waste
WHY IT MATTERS
Reducing food waste can help address global warming and food insecurity, making this market a significant development in sustainability efforts.
What happened
A growing market for 'ugly' produce and surplus food is reducing grocery waste in the US. Shoppers are more likely to buy misshapen produce if assured of its quality.
Smarter labeling and in-store messages can also influence purchasing decisions.
The market has seen a surge in consumer interest, with companies like Hungry Harvest and Misfits Market rescuing millions of pounds of food.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Americans are stressed about grocery prices, so why do they toss or overlook so much ‘misfit’ food?
The Conversation US · Jintao Zhang, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Binghamton University, State University of New York · CC BY-ND; link/attribution intake only—no edited republication
CORRECTIONS & UPDATES
- Revision 1 · Initial ingestion · Oct 13, 2026, 1:30 PM
- Revision 2 · Source update detected · Oct 13, 2026, 1:30 PM