Rigid rules for the uniformity of fruit and vegetables could be simplified by the European Commission, in a move to cut food waste and widen consumer choice.
Mariann Fischer Boel, the Danish commissioner, is behind the proposal to abandon the uniformity rules.
It is anticipated that 26 of the directives, including those governing bent cucumbers and thin carrots, will be relaxed.
Minimum standards would be imposed on 10 items; apples, citrus, kiwifruit, lettuces and endives, peaches, pears, strawberries, peppers, table grapes and tomatoes.
The move is intended to encourage retailers to stock less-than-perfect fruit and to ensure informed consumer choice with better transparency in fresh produce labelling.
Michael Mann, a spokesman for the European Commission, said: “People are saying that prices are too high, so it makes no sense chucking food away. We want to have two classes, allowing supermarkets to sell funny shaped vegetables.”
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