Photo by Brettf

Odd shaped fruit and vegetables are set to return to the shelves as the 20 year old European Union rules are lifted. 26 types of fruit and vegetables will have the rule lifted, but the standards will still remain for the top 10 types of produce.

The EU’s decision has been welcomed by supermarkets and is a move to cut EU bureaucracy. The rules were initially introduced to ensure the same standards of fruit and vegetables over all European countries, but it was widely slated by critics as being an example of Euro-madness.

In a statement the Agriculture Commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel said: “We don’t need to regulate this sort of thing at EU level. It is far better to leave it to market operators”.

Adding that, “The changes also mean that consumers will be able to choose from the widest range of products possible. It makes no sense to throw perfectly good products away, just because they are the ‘wrong’ size and shape”.

It is estimated that 20% of produce is rejected across the EU due to them not meeting the current requirements, and in welcoming the news, Sainsbury’s manager Lucy Maclennan said: “by being able to sell more wonky fruit and vegetables, we can help cash-strapped Britons save even more on their weekly shop and help farmers use more of their crop”.