Whole Foods pre-peeled oranges in plastic pulled after social media ridicule

[HuckleB]

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/peeled-oranges-in-plastic-pulled-by-whole-foods-after-social-media-outrage-a6911611.html

"Are you too posh to peel? Or perhaps you just don't like getting your hands dirty?

If so, upmarket supermarket Whole Foods thought it had come up with the perfect solution with its pre-peeled oranges.

However, the internet wasn't so sure.

The pre-peeled oranges inside plastic boxes have caused such outrage on social media that Whole Foods has dropped the idea altogether.

..."

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The fear mongering company never seems to understand its ludicrous hypocrisy.

[trotsky]

1. To be fair, what if you love oranges but suffer from severe arthritis?

I mean I don't think it was a HORRIBLE idea. But yeah, the idea of just tossing it in a plastic container to then contribute to the waste stream... ugh.

[AxionExcel]

3. This thread is not about being fair. Obviously.

[HuckleB]

62. It's completely fair.

Whole Foods promotes deception in its attempts to feign being an ethical company. The fact that you support them is very telling.

http://www.marklynas.org/2013/04/time-to-call-out-the-anti-gmo-conspiracy-theory/

http://thelogicofscience.com/2015/04/18/follow-the-money-the-finances-of-global-warming-vaccines-and-gmos/

[HuckleB]

4. It would be nice to see groceries offer such a service to people who need it.

I could get behind that, indeed.

[snooper2]

6. I thought somebody would bring this up but not the first post LOL

From the article

"others who said they personally struggled to peel an orange."

My immediate first thought was...Well, humans have invented this cool thing, it is called-
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A KNIFE!




And if you REALLY have trouble, they make these knife things, with ENGINES!

[HuckleB]

8. My MIL had severe rheumatoid arthritis. Those would not have helped much.

Of course, she couldn't afford to shop at Whole Foods, anyway.

[snooper2]

11. Then you need to go full out...just hit a button!

[trotsky]

10. OK, so you get a knife, and if your arthritis isn't terrible, you cut the orange in wedges.

Now you have multiple wet, sticky orange slices, each with a rind attached to it that you somehow STILL have to peel off.

I dunno, my aunt has terrible arthritis so I guess having seen her deal with things in life has made me think of that. It's a serious issue, granted not for many, but whatever.

[snooper2]

12. See post #11

I got one of these for my FIL years ago before he passed-

[Travis_0004]

41. Im assuming that is a juicer.

I would assume there are people that want an orange and not orange juice.

[snooper2]

59. nope, peeler, can even peel skin

[tblue37]

21. Hold the orange wedge by its peel, then use your teeth to chomp the

orange right off the peel. Works like a dream, and you never have to touch the sticky orange meat with your hands.

If your mouth is too dainty to chomp a whole quarter orange, just slice it into smaller wedges.

[Human101948]

27. Then your goddamn teeth end up on the floor!

And they're too damned expensive to use as an orange peeler!

[tblue37]

30. LOL--not a problem I have. nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

35. Hee!

[trof]

44. Oh god. Really?

jeez

[valerief]

50. Um, knives? nt

[tymorial]

51. the problem was the container

[In_The_Wind]

2. It's too bad that Whole Foods pulled a product the public wanted.

[HuckleB]

5. Yeah, who cares about adding to the landfills.

[In_The_Wind]

7. True, the packaging could be better but think of the old folks who can't peel an orange.

[img][/img]

[HuckleB]

9. See my response to trotsky above.

And this is Whole Foods. I don't see that as being the main purpose for "providing" said product. How many elderly can even afford to shop there?

[womanofthehills]

25. The prices on vegetables are great at Whole Foods in Albuquerque

You can get organic celery, carrots, and lettuce for around $2 . Produce always looks excellent and fresh. Actually the cheese prices are cheaper than some of our non organic stores in Albuquerque. You can get yogurt for $1.00.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

40. One near me charges $6 per lb for broccoli florets.

They did look fresh, but I think I'll stick with Costco.

[HuckleB]

42. Not here, and not anywhere I've ever been.

[trof]

45. When the day comes that I can't peel a fucking orange...

Just go ahead and throw the first shovel of dirt over me.
I'm 75.

[In_The_Wind]

47. I've been using a knife to peel an orange since I was young.

I'm 67. There are more HoneyBelle seasons ahead to enjoy.

[KamaAina]

13. It's been done with bananas, too!

[HuckleB]

15. That is weird, indeed, or it seems so to me.

Bananas are ludicrously easy to peel. Yikes.

[EL34x4]

16. Yet we still do it wrong.

Most humans peel bananas from the top down. Monkeys peel them from the bottom. Ever wonder why? Quick answer: It's easier. Try it next time.

[HuckleB]

17. I'm game!

[2theleft]

49. I saw that in an article about a month ago. Tried it.

It is so much easier. I couldn't believe it. Only way to peel a banana!

[womanofthehills]

26. Walmart does this kind of thing too

They have pre- baked potatoes in the vegetable section in some nice plastic wrap. Yum Yum Gag!!

[The2ndWheel]

18. There's nothing humans won't do

[Liberal_in_LA]

34. Lol

[Erose999]

14. My mom had ALS, and struggled to do anything with her hands. Something like this or pre-chopped

veggies might have benefitted her. But she'd have also had to pay the inflated price for paying someone to peel the orange, and she had people around like my dad who could do that for her.

[HuckleB]

19. "That's Ridiculous. They expect us to break up those segments ourselves."

Best response to this "news," found on Facebook.

[tblue37]

20. Remember Mae West's brilliant ad lib, when she told the maid,

"Peel me a grape"?

[MatthewStLouis]

22. Ha ha!

I love Mae West.

[sufrommich]

23. I could see my sister buying that.She doesn't have

any physical problems but will buy anything cut up,she'll pay extra to buy broccoli and watermelon pre cut. It's a pet peeve of mine,how hard is it to cut your own fruit and vegetables any pay way less for them? People should be able to buy what they want but I don't get it. And that packaging makes me see red.

[romanic]

24. I get the outrage.

Peeled oranges are ridiculous and the packaging isn't the most environmentally friendly. :X

[womanofthehills]

29. Some plastic bags can be recycled

In our tiny town in the middle of NM - we have different recycling bins.

[Liberal_in_LA]

37. "if only nature would find a way to cover these oranges so we didn't need to waste so much plastic..

London shopper Natalie Gordon drily tweeted, "if only nature would find a way to cover these oranges so we didn't need to waste so much plastic on them."

[arcane1]

28. The Peets Coffee in my neighborhood sells pre-peeled hard boiled eggs in plastic.

All I can think is "someone's hands were all over these"

[womanofthehills]

33. Every extra step can add bacteria

I never buy vegetables that have been pre-cut or lettuce in sealed plastic bags.

[Buns_of_Fire]

31. If one has severe arthritis, how does one open the packaging? nt

[womanofthehills]

36. Have you noticed how skinny those arthritic people are

[Liberal_in_LA]

32. ..

[underpants]

38. Reminds me of Uncrustables - Smuckers pre made PB&J sandwiches

Smuckers.com

[HuckleB]

43. Oh, those things.

I remember them. I don't think I ever had one.

[ScreamingMeemie]

60. They still have them, and my dad is addicted

They are pretty dang tasty.

[Liberal_in_LA]

39. Pics

[chalky]

52. "Made right here!"

Why not add "Just like mom used to make!" to the label, too?

[Retrograde]

46. And here I thought individual potatoes

wrapped in foil (and then sealed in plastic) were the epitome of dumb packaging.

No, I don't buy the "this is so great for elderly/arthritic/whatever" customers. It's a waste of packaging, as well as a way to sell damaged or imperfect produce at a large markup. As a senior citizen with reduced use of one hand, all I can say is, where there's a will, there's a way - especially with a good cleaver.

[HuckleB]

48. I think I missed those, somehow.

The packaging doesn't justify it, for anyone. I agree. Still, I could see a smart store doing it for the few customers who need it. Put a few in a reusable bag, or something for them. Don't charge, and look at it is as a marketing opportunity.

[6chars]

53. sometimes you want an orange but not the mess

if you eat lunch at your desk, or have a snack on a bus or something, you end up with sticky hands from peeling the orange and are stuck with them for a while.

i like the product idea -- people often pay a little extra for convenience -- but agree with others that the styrofoam packaging is not best.

[HuckleB]

54. This isn't a little extra.

It's silly village extra.

[6chars]

55. it's like microwave popcorn or instant coffee

or lean cuisine. it is food processed for convenience that some people will pay for.
if no one wants to pay for it, then it won't sell and they'll take it off the market. but why should only orange non-peelers be shamed out of having their preference available?

[HuckleB]

56. Nice try.

History matters.

[6chars]

57. is there a history to orange peeling?

I am not aware of it. I guess my parents peeled mine when I was very young, and I peeled them for my kids when they were very young.

[braddy]

58. I would prefer that they find a way to remove the liquid

inside of the orange and put that into a sterile container, that way I could just drink the orange without having to chew.

[leftyladyfrommo]

61. All the stores do that here.

They put all kinds of fruits and vegetables in plastic containers so you can buy them already peeled and chopped up.

It's really expensive to buy them that way. A plastic container of mixed berries and fruit was $10. But you don't have to deal with the mess when you fix them yourself.

[Vinca]

63. One of the dumbest things I've noticed at the grocery store is peeled, hard boiled eggs

in a plastic bag. Who hasn't got time to cook a hard boiled egg? Another "convenience" item that makes no sense is pre-sliced mushrooms. Look close . . . they haven't bothered to clean them. Sure, they grow in sterilized manure, but it's still manure.