EQUAL RIGHTS FOR UGLY FOODS

(Excerpts Part 2)

The regulations have long caused outrage among foodies, farmers, retailers and eco-minded eaters who bemoaned how wasteful it was to throw out up to 20% of perfectly tasty produce simply because it wasn't up to snuff visually.

In the U.S., the farm-to-table and local-food movements have encouraged consumers to embrace irregularly shaped produce. Last year they helped convince the Federal Trade Commission to ease restrictions on the sale of a coveted hybrid heirloom tomato called the UglyRipe.

"Fruits and vegetables can be ugly on the outside but still taste fine on the inside, where it counts," says chef Amanda Cohen, whose newly opened restaurant in New York City is called Dirt Candy, in reference to the origin of its vegetarian treats.

"Heirloom tomatoes may look like Frankenstein, but they often taste better than the perfectly round, slightly plasticized tomatoes you sometimes see in supermarkets. An irregular shape usually has nothing to do with taste."