Coles shoppers divided over tiny '2D pumpkins' for sale
The woman was frustrated by the size of the butternut pumpkins Coles was selling, but many people approved.
A Coles shopper has caused a stir over what she calls the supermarket's "thin, 2D pumpkins" she discovered in the vegetable aisle. The frustrated customer lashed out at the petite size of the pumpkin, questioning how one could make dinner with the smaller-than-usual butternut variety — but not everyone agreed with her stance. In fact, many appreciated the supermarket offering the smaller-sized produce.
Flashing the vegetable in question, the shopper picked up a pre-cut pumpkin half which some say looked more like a third. On some, the seeds were barely visible. Meanwhile, other thicker pieces were also seen on sale in the footage. The scenario follows backlash over what some customers deemed a quarter cauliflower being sold as a half at Woolworths.
Aussies dispute merits of Coles' smaller pumpkins
"What the actual f**k are these? Pumpkins or are these 2D pumpkins?" the shopper fumed on TikTok. "Why are you so thin? I don't understand".
"Is [Coles] selling the skin of the pumpkin? Or is this really what we're going to make our dinner with?" she continued while also asking, "Come on, are you really that money hungry?"
Responding to the video, one admitted they'd "flip out" if they too saw the same in their local Coles. "It looks like it’s been cut into three, not half, most are missing the seeds. I’ll bet the middle bit is cut up for packs of pieces cut up pack," another theorised.
But many thought it was a "great idea" particularly for single households or those who don't want a large amount as it eliminates waste, and works our cheaper when paying by weight.
"I would prefer buying these than half a pumpkin when I only need less than a quarter," one said. "I wish my supermarket catered for small portions," said another.
"Not money hungry. It’s a good idea. I for one only use a small amount each week, so there is a bit that goes off and is thrown out," a third said.
Coles confirmed to Yahoo News it sells a variety of different pumpkin types and sizes, and they cut them in ways that cater to different customers' needs.
"We sell a variety of pumpkin types from a number of different growers," a Coles spokesperson told Yahoo.
"They come in all different shapes and sizes providing our customers with options when they shop depending on how much they need. Cut pumpkins are sold by the kilo so customers don’t need to worry, they will only be charged for the weight of what they select."
Alarming amount of fruit and veg rejected by supermarkets
The conversation also turned to the worrying amount of fruit and vegetable waste across Australia as less-than-perfect produce which don't meet supermarket standards are often rejected and thrown out.
"They’re just skinny pumpkins. Please don’t get supermarkets to refuse and return more stuff to farmers," one shopper pleaded. "Farmers need to meet such strict criteria and sometimes the smallest thing can refuse truckload/s".
Josh Ball from Farmers Pick, which aims to eliminate food waste, previously explained this sad reality when speaking to Yahoo News Australia. He said up to 50 per cent of "perfectly imperfect" produce never leaves the farm on which they're grown because of unrealistic cosmetic standards upheld by the major supermarkets.
"Crops can get rejected because of the way it looks, either because of its size — it's too big or too small — or it has a blemish on it. The standards are primarily set on aesthetics," he said.
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