The circle of it: This company rescues produce and other food items that would otherwise end up being wasted and offers a service to customers that leverages sustainability as a key offering, thereby preventing food waste and finding a market for “ugly” produce.
Imperfect foods
Summary
Imperfect Foods, now acquired by Misfits Market, delivers groceries to customers with the unique selling point of rescuing produce and other food items that would otherwise have been wasted. The company also sells shelf-stable items that are made with produce that is rejected from the conventional market. The company has remained focused on eliminating food waste and supporting farmers when it comes to excess and imperfect products. It is estimated that over 70 billions pounds of food is wasted annually in the United States.
Story
Founder, Ben Simon, was first struck by how much food was wasted in college cafeterias when he was a student at the University of Maryland. Four years later, Simon cofounded the company with his friend Ben Chesler, aimed at providing a subscription service for discounted “ugly” produce that were perfectly good, but were rejected from the food supply chain for their “looks”.
Pic Credit: Silo (right) and Bon Appetit (top)
“Honestly, the most common feedback we get from customers about the appearance of our produce is “hey, this isn’t very ugly at all!” The reality is that for a home cook, appearance couldn’t matter less. “
Ben Simon in an interview
Founder(s)
Ben Simon, Benjamin Chesler, Ron Clark
Headquarters
San Francisco, CA
In business since
2015
Business type
for profit
Impact
According to its 2020 Impact report, the company saved over 50,00,000 pounds of food in 2020 (Source)
Technology
creating a new supply chain for rescued produce directly from farms, creating a subscription service around rescued produce
Website
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