The image of a single, pre-peeled orange being sold in a plastic container went viral.
The internet saw this as a new low for laziness.
But for Wendy Favorito, a pre-peeled orange is a “magic product.”
Pre-peeled, pre-cut, pre-washed vegetables and fruits wrapped in plastic are lining supermarket shelfs – terribly wasteful, or a life-changing innovation? Source: Supplied
Wendy was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at six-years-old. It’s debilitating. Slicing and dicing veges for dinner causes her immense pain.
“Why would I buy it when I can’t open it in its natural form?” she says.
While some would argue she could rely on someone else to cut foods for her, not everyone with special needs has that option. What’s more, being able to prepare your own meals, to live independently, is a deeply gratifying thing.
Why would I buy it when I can’t open it in its natural form?
Wendy says that people who are trying to lobby to have prepared food removed from supermarkets have a very narrow viewpoint. She says, “This isn't just about packaging and packaging wastage. This is about independence for many people in our community.”
Critics of pre-prepared fruit and vegetables cite the huge impact plastic packaging has on the environment. However Karli Verghese, a food waste expert from RMIT University, says that because plastic packaging can extend the shelf life of food, it can also lessen the amount of food waste.
“If a particular household can't eat a whole cauliflower, for instance, they could buy a certain pre-packed amount that they are able to cook and eat in one serving, which will actually reduce overall food waste.”
