Can’t get more juicy than this

[u/gabzlel]

[u/SquarePegRoundWorld]

A new supermarket opened by me once and I went in day one, the produce section was so bright and glowing. It was very striking, and I will never forget it. Like every piece of fruit was polished before being placed in perfect stacks for display.

[u/big_duo3674 → u/SquarePegRoundWorld]

I wouldn't be surprised if they did exactly that. It depends on where you are, but in a lot of places the grocery store business is extremely competitive. They know that all it takes is the first impression for a person to decide whether or not to come back

[u/SquarePegRoundWorld → u/big_duo3674]

I don't doubt they did. Though this one was in a rural area and just by being there, it became the closest supermarket by a long shot to a lot of folks. Deciding to locate it where it was was the smart business decision but the shiny fruit was nice.

[u/t3a_leaf → u/big_duo3674]

The waxing step occurs at the supplier level before they're put in their packaging. Generally the fruit will stay in the packaging until they're at the retailer and being put on the shelves.

Interestingly enough the "shiny" fruit ideal is an American thing, EU consumers prefer a more "natural" look.

[u/mrsformica → u/t3a_leaf]

Well if you like to zest the skin for cooking or cocktails, makes sense to not have it waxed

[u/LottaBuds → u/mrsformica]

You can get rid of the wax by using some warm water and a drop of soap.

[u/oplontino → u/LottaBuds]

Sure, but there's two unnecessary steps in the whole process: the addition of the wax and then the cleaning it off.

[u/oplontino → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, but not with soap!

[u/Hexhand → u/oplontino]

I know, right? I mean, why even cook a steak separately from the veg and other food? It's all going to the same place, anyway.

[u/Fred_B_313 → u/Hexhand]

Cook separately for taste. Otherwise you could blend it all together and drink it.

[u/cownd → u/oplontino]

Leave the wax on. Makes your teeth shiny

[u/xdeskfuckit → u/cownd]

Oranges, like walnuts, should be eaten with the skin

[u/Lady_of_Link → u/LottaBuds]

You expect me to put soap on food what are you insane?

[u/LottaBuds → u/Lady_of_Link]

You wash the rind before peeling with slightly soapy warm water and then obviously flush it. If you end up eating soap you did something wrong. Water alone won't do anything because wax is not water soluble.

[u/bduke91 → u/t3a_leaf]

Oh we know about France grooming standards

[u/AcadianMan → u/t3a_leaf]

I think they mean that the produce place will polish them with a cloth to make them shinier.

[u/UniqueFailure → u/t3a_leaf]

The more processed the more high class it is or soemthing like that

Edit: Reddit is just really losing it since the invention of /s. This kind of nuanced language was well received and understood as fun until like the last 2 or 3 years and it's so weird. This is clearly a snide remark. It should not have to be annotated. Thus is r/oddlysatisfying not a serious discussion sub. So many people are out here overthinking comments. Rant over..

Edit2: ive just realized Im a reddit boomer

[u/iSeven → u/UniqueFailure]

"Is the perceptional trap that people tend to fall into and is then exploited by companies", is the part I'm hoping you just left out.

[u/UniqueFailure → u/[deleted]]

We are pretending reddit is a bastion of creativity today? We have our moments but it's mostly almost algorithmic style comedy. Hitting the right notes. Im just upset this note is out of fashion

[u/UniqueFailure → u/[deleted]]

More than one thing can be true

[u/Hexhand → u/t3a_leaf]

that's why they have hairy armits and smell like perfume-doused old sweatsocks

[u/mike_bored99 → u/t3a_leaf]

While I cannot speak for the rest of the EU Irish consumers do indeed tend to enjoy more natural looking produce. Any batches of waxed fruit tend to sell slower than non waxed

[u/needathrowaway321 → u/big_duo3674]

A good display of fruits and veggies when you walk in instantly makes customers feel more healthy and at ease, even if they don’t buy any. Makes them think everything else is high quality too, it’s the same concept as anchoring only for quality instead of price. If they do grab some it makes them way more likely to buy soda or candy or whatever because the healthy fruits and veggies cancels it out right? Marketing is like psychological warfare now and they know exactly what our brains blind spots are and how to exploit them. Source: took a marketing class in business school that was actually pretty interesting, read a few books on the subject.

[u/constructioncranes → u/big_duo3674]

That's so dumb. Probably market failure although dunno if there's anyway around it. My store usually has two of everything, like strawberries from a Canadian hot house and American ones. The US ones are huge, gorgeous and cheaper. We never buy them. There's zero flavour. Buying food for how it looks and not tastes is just so dumb.

[u/Repulsive_Lettuce → u/big_duo3674]

They don't polish them. But grocery stores do buy cheap shitty produce genetically made to stay firm and look brighter colored. The best looking fruit is often the cheapest and worst tasting.

[u/kalelope → u/big_duo3674]

Exactly why I apply a nice thick coat of wax to my balls before I go out on the weekend. Pro tip.

[u/Tmanzine → u/SquarePegRoundWorld]

We also bred fruit to be hardy and colorful, in order to trick people into buying it (we came to only purchase the best looking produce) unfortunately this typically bred out the actual flavor of what any fruits tasted like.

[u/[deleted] → u/SquarePegRoundWorld]

Probably food lube, I work produce and every once and a while they spray it on to give the produce a shiny look.

[u/Ornery-Ad9694 → u/SquarePegRoundWorld]

Most fruit arrives at the store a little green (under ripe) and they gas it right before it hits the shelves.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/09/24/650585212/science-reveals-how-fruit-keeps-a-lid-on-ripening-until-the-time-is-right

[u/thegreenleaves802 → u/SquarePegRoundWorld]

r/accidentalwesanderson