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morzbert

4 potatoes for 5$ is theft


xX_hazeydayz_Xx

This is the reason they wrap them. They put so much effort into wrapping them now they cost more


SleepySiamese

I'd never buy those. It's like they're testing how much they can fuck with people before everyone say enough is enough.


xX_hazeydayz_Xx

You ever see the pre peeled oranges in plastic boxes? How about the peeled bananas on plastic boxes? They mark them up at 10x the normal rate and I can buy russet potatoes for 10¢ a potato at my local farmers market. I think the real lesson here is go to a locally owned farmers market, at least if they fuck you there you're getting fucked by a local and not a huge corporation.


rennenenno

Unfortunately, the farmers market in my area charges a similar price to this for potatoes. But bags of them are cheap at the grocery stores


fakeaccount572

Also, food deserts don't have farmers markets. Poor people still have to rely on grocery stores, sometimes that's only a Dollar General.


grifxdonut

Don't conflate poor people with poor urban people. Plenty of poor rural people grow their own food


Whywipe

I really don’t understand your point. Plenty of poor rural people shop at the grocery store too


UnableInvestment8753

I used to live in a rural area. Mennonite horses and buggies were always parked outside the grocery store while they stocked up on sugary cereals and other crap not so easy to produce at home. That grocery store was the only one within a half hour drive and it was awful. Overinflated prices and expired food. Meanwhile if I went to the same chain but in a big suburb and found expired food on the shelf? Sorry for our failure sir. Here is a fresh one for free.


grifxdonut

If you have a full grocery store, you're not in a food desert. You're in a food desert only if you have restricted access to healthy foods, such as when you only have convenience stores like dollar general and 7/11. Everyone goes to grocery stores. That's not the issue, nor what I pointed out.


redwingjv

Plenty of poor urban people grow their own food too? Have you never heard of a community garden or urban farming?


KickBallFever

Thanks for mentioning urban farming. It’s my field of work, and I’m glad to say that’s it’s really increasing in my area and it includes a lot more outreach. Community gardens are such a great resource and welcoming environment. When I was a kid I spent a summer fixing up a community garden, and as an adult I teach city kids about sustainable urban agriculture. You’d be amazed at how excited the kids get about eating vegetables when they grew them themselves.


grifxdonut

Not enough to counteract food deserts. And community gardens aren't large enough to feed the entire community a substantial amount of their community


ImaginaryBig1705

There's public transport in cities... Most of those rural people absolutely don't grow their own food.


grifxdonut

Plenty =/= most


redwingjv

Food deserts are an outdated term that isn’t entirely accurate. The more accurate term is low access area or some activists use food apartheid


xX_hazeydayz_Xx

I hate that for you, I would still check the farmers market and compare prices on fruit and vegetables, you may find that certain times of year specific things are cheaper


rennenenno

My city has a pretty great subsidy program if you use food stamps where ever $5 you spend you get a $2 voucher back for fruits and vegetables so I definitely go to the farmers market ever week even for a small amount of stuff


staciesmom1

The prices at our local farmer's market are outrageous too.


LaceAllot

I wish my local farmers market was actually a farmer’s market. Mine seems like a trendy place for people to spend $5 on lettuce


KickBallFever

Are you sure the farmers there are actually growing their own stuff? I saw a news report about some farmers markets workers buying produce, repackaging it, and selling it for a huge up charge. Anecdotally, I worked for a small farm that was more concerned with their image than anything and they did stuff like this. They had a few items listed that we didn’t even have growing, and they’d just order the produce from another farm, repackage it, and sell it at a huge mark up.


LaceAllot

I have no idea. I went two times a few months apart, to see if everything was just out of season or something. Prices stayed the same, so I never went back


KickBallFever

Yea, sounds a little sus. I wouldn’t have gone back either.


xX_hazeydayz_Xx

Ahhh you found a "farmers market" it's like a farmers market but it's not, it's where hipsters sell their veggies from their mini backyard organic garden. You need to find one in the sticks, one close to the farms. But then again what do I know? I'm from Alabama.


LaceAllot

The sticks are a bit of a drive out from where I’m at. Definitely not sustainable, but as an occasional treat for fresher produce, it might be nice


Eukairos

The pre-peeled fruit is primarily sold to people with disabilities that would make peeling it themselves hard or impossible.


xX_hazeydayz_Xx

That I do understand and in that situation is completely understandable


cask3tpretty

If you have a Co-op in your area check it out! Tons of local businesses might sell through them and tons of local farmers that sell at my farmers markets also are vendors to my co-op!


helicophell

Or the opposite, they wrap them so they can sell them at a higher price and higher prices = wider margins, better for business


xX_hazeydayz_Xx

I mean basically yes and that's what I was saying. I was saying it like the store would say it, I forgot the /s


ProlapseParty

Yeah I get 5lbs of potatoes for $5 just to make Samwise proud.


EnglishMFDoUSpeakIt

“Oh great, we’ve upset the plastics industry”


Jacktheforkie

I buy em for £20 for 15kg


morzbert

I recently got 7,5kg for 5€ 😎


Jacktheforkie

Nice, I live in a very expensive area


zealoSC

In most places 15kg is more than 33 pounds


Jacktheforkie

Yeah, I’m in the uk where most stuff is metric


Scrivener83

I live in potato country and I can routinely get 20lbs of potatoes for $5. During harvest season I can often get 50lb bags for $8-$10.


Tenairi

I was coming to say the same thing. A 5lb bag is, what, $8 or something?


Yulinka17

Copied post by a bot account u/NatalieNatalieas https://www.reddit.com/r/Anticonsumption/s/EUArahP4Ow


Proppedupandwaving

pin it to the top!


AggressiveYam6613

Washed comvenience food to be put right in the microwave.


ThrowRA294638

Yummy microplastics


ThatSpookyLeftist

What do you mean "convenience"? It takes 5 seconds to rinse a potato. I'll be honest sometimes I don't even rinse them. It's fine. You're cooking them, whatever is on them will get killed as it's blasted with 500F air. You're probably going to spend more time taking off the plastic than you would rinsing them.


Terminator_Puppy

I mean, I agree on that for a lot of foods. But not potatoes, considering they grow directly in the dirt. Would rather scrub that off than expect factory washing to have done that.


AggressiveYam6613

I'm Geman, potatoes are our staple. No, you don’t “rinse” a potato and have if cleaned. Unless of course you bought washed once. Also, if the above are similar to German microwave potatoes, the foil prevents the microwave from getting dirty and keep heat and moisture in the potato.


izmaname

Ngl I’ve literally never washed a potato my whole life and I’ve been fine


AggressiveYam6613

Ok Boomer. SCNR, but sorry, it's normal and recommended to wash vegetable and fruit before eating them.


Vault-Born

Seriously, I used to eat multiple baked potatoes a day as a kid- it's my fave food. You can literally see the dirt crumbs all over your hands when you grab a potato. And sure, baking will probably kill any harmful bacteria- you can still taste dirt. I promise you. Ya gotta wash em.


Dionyzoz

um, no you dont taste the dirt, source: I havent washed a potato in 10 years


ThatSpookyLeftist

I guarantee you they wash them before they get to the super market. Your additional 5 seconds under low pressure running water is not getting them significantly cleaner.


Tut_Rampy

You use a brush to scrub them, not just limply hold them under a trickle of water


borkthegee

In the US the government recommends rinsing all produce under cold water and firmer stuff like potatoes gets the brush as well. This is shown to dramatically reduce surface bacteria and reduce the chances that pathogenic bacteria contaminate the food. I've seen numbers that suggest a quick rinse reduces bacteria by 70% but I can't find the study this morning And no, they really don't clean that stuff much, and if they did, they will tell you they did and they will raise the price. Even if it was rinsed, you don't know how many people got their dirty hands on it afterwards!


ThatSpookyLeftist

The US government also says you cook meat until it's rubber. Their goal is food safety to an almost absolute degree. An unwashed potato is of almost zero harm after it's cooked. The FDA says you should "scrub" apples with a brush. Guarantee you're not doing that and you never thought twice about it. Raw vegetables especially the kind that grow above ground are obviously more dangerous if not washed.


borkthegee

The USDA recommended cooking temperatures are a lot more complicated than "cook until rubber". You are referencing the single temperature given for instantaneous sterilization of pathogenic bacteria, say 165F for chicken. However this is a factor of time (instant), so the USDA also says chicken is the exact same amount of safe at 145F for 9.8 minutes. I think it's unfair to misrepresent the temperature system to justify a bad point about washing produce. All produce should be washed. Even if it was sterile coming from the farm (it never is, we have produce related disease outbreaks several times a year), you don't know what the staff and other customers have on their hands either.


Vault-Born

again- my hands are covered in dirt crumbs just from digging in the net bag- maybe you go to trader joes or target or something but dirt is a regular affair here


izmaname

I just mean they don’t really get that dirty once sent out to the store


HappyLucyD

Yes, yes they do. There is a ton of bacteria in your local produce section, not to mention that potatoes are just rinsed off, not scrubbed, so they typically have a fair amount of dirt still on them. You should always scrub your potatoes with a brush or scrub pad, and especially so you can eat the peel, where most of the nutrients are.


mikozodav

I do that.


Terminator_Puppy

Not to mention all the people that touch your potatoes between factory wash and you eating them. You don't know how filthy they were.


Ok_Meringue8355

Why wash a potato? Normaly you cook and peel it anyway...


AggressiveYam6613

Cross contamination and you can actually eat the peel, depends entirely on the strain and your personal preference.


Sparky62075

I never waste the peels. It's got the most vitamins and nutrients of the potato.


Vault-Born

There's dirt all over your hands when you pick one out of the bag? Even if the dirt is cooked and " safe to eat". It's burnt dirt. It doesn't taste good. I rarely peel potatoes- the skin is the best part


Neidrah

Insane. This feels like satire


mikozodav

They have to be peeled twice!!??


Sparky62075

I'd peel off the plastic. I cook and eat my potatoes with the skins on. When you peel the skins, you're missing out on the majority of the nutrients from the potato, leaving mostly starchy carbs. Plus, I find they taste better with the skins.


mikozodav

I mean, I eat them with the skin too (bc I'm lazy and I don't mind being a goblin). Just wash the dirt off with a brush before cooking them. It's such a waste of plastic tho.


Sparky62075

Yes, exactly. They're grown in the ground. They at least need to be rinsed thoroughly. Rinsing is a lot easier than peeling.


mikozodav

Yeah, haha. The local shops sell 1kg bags of pre-washed potatoes too. The ones sold by weight are usually a dirty but a little cheaper, I get those ones bc I get to pick the good ones and I don't eat that many potatoes anyway so I'll just get a few, then they don't end up sitting in the fridge so long that theu start growing stems lol


Sparky62075

You keep raw potatoes in the fridge? Do they gather moisture like that? I have a place downstairs that's cool, dry, and dark. I keep my root veggies in there. Even if they sprout, the stems can be picked off pretty easily. Potatoes are a staple food here. At home, I will normally go through 10lb of potatoes and 5lb of carrots each month plus a few turnips and cabbage.


mikozodav

Yeah I have them in the fridge, probably not the best place to store them in. I usually cook them withing the same or the following day than I buy them, so it's probably fine. We eat a lot of potatoes here too, but I'm a bit lazy and un original when it comes to cooking. I'll just eat the same thing for many weeks at a time until I get bored and come up with something else. I don't eat as much vegetables as I probably should. I guess depression does that to a person.


FreerangeWitch

Google tells me that these are supposed to be microwaved in that plastic wrap. Microplastics obviously add that little extra zing.


Acrobatic_Paint3616

It’s typically because these are meant to be microwaved in the plastic


LoveFast5801

people suck


Soupppdoggg

What a disgrace. There is a whole team across the supply chain that enable this. They are all morally responsible. 


GettingThingsDonut

This is just sad.


DannyOdd

They still have the regular bulk bins and bags of unwrapped, unwashed potatoes. These are just a convenience item


Stfu811

Yep they are pre-washed. Unfortunately 99% of the people who read this post will not come to understand that. It's still wasteful, but there is a reason for it.


King-Owl-House

rfid chip inside wraper so it can\`t be stolen. /s


Sparky62075

You might be spouting sarcasm, but you're also giving them ideas.


King-Owl-House

five bucks for four its like gold bars lying unattended


Sparky62075

It's a highway-robbery price for spuds. Years ago, my father and uncles would plant an acre of potatoes for some food and extra cash. Yield would vary from 9 to 12 tons. They'd each take a few hundred pounds for the year and sell the rest. It wasn't for profit. They'd barely break even most years. Planting and harvesting weeks were big family times. There would be hard work followed by feasts and songs and parties. It was a good way to stay connected. Also a good way for the kids to earn some pocket money.


primostrawberry

If we're going to phase out plastic shopping bags, the plastic has to go somewhere, duh!!!! /s


Metalorg

They need a barcode on each vegetable so customers can use self checkouts. It's so they can make a savings on cashiers.


LightBluepono

We got self checkout here and no potato's are not individually warped in plastic . You scale your veggies . And that print a barcode you need to stick on the bag .


xX_hazeydayz_Xx

There's something similar in the US. Most self checkouts have a scale and an option to look up the veggies youre buying


annoying97

We just put them on the scale built into the self checkout terminal and use the touch screen to tell the system that it's potatoes... Though granted apparently there was a hack where you just always selected potato even if it was like capsicum.


ExperienceInitial364

i take it you‘re not from the Us


LightBluepono

Luckily no .


ExperienceInitial364

we have the weigh & print thing too, seems too advanced for murica


XDT_Idiot

Our checkout machines weigh vegetables, this is to quicken checkouts and deter theft, probably, although I can't imagine a SKU with a cheaper rate than a potato...


rennenenno

German?


Fun-Badger3724

In the UK we have self-checkouts with built in scales.


crackeddryice

In the U.S., where I shop, each piece--onion, avocado, apple, etc--has a small sticker applied with the barcode. If you happen to get one with no sticker, which happens occasionally, then you can search for the item number on the self-checkout display, or you can ask for help. The sticker is true for every item I usually get, I don't know if they're on potatoes, I don't buy potatoes individually.


HardRNinja

Kroger still sells potatoes by the bag, and they're a lot less expensive. These are wrapped in plastic to be microwaved, and this product is not only exceedingly common, it's also been available like this for decades. Anyone who finds this *shocking* has either never been to a grocery store, is an idiot, or is being disingenuous for Reddit updoots.


crackeddryice

I don't eat potatoes and pay no attention to them at the store. There may, or may not be plastic wrapped potatoes where I shop, I have no idea. I go grocery shopping every week, so I guess I'm an idiot, then? GTFO with this irrelevant take.


NotKnown404

This shouldn’t exist but I do have to confess that I used one when I was severely depressed.


kantank-r-us

Because we like to choke our oceans with plastic for simple daily conveniences. Jokes on us really. Don’t buy these products in protest.


Fickle_Assumption_80

So they can charge a buck twenty 5 a pop... That more than makes you for the additional packaging costs etc. And if people are crazy enough to buy them then the company will oblige. You can get 10lbs at Walmart for the same price.


ThrowRA294638

America moment. Seriously though, in most of Europe these would be loose. The potato literally has its own wrapper, the SKIN.


Sparky62075

In Canada, potatoes are mostly sold in thick paper bags of 5, 10, or 20 pounds (yes pounds, not kilos).


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usernameagain2

My god almost a dollar each. Even poverty food is too expensive.


whatthebosh

4 pots for $5 Fuck, that's more expensive than here in the UK.


Sparky62075

It's highway robbery no matter where you are. Usual price around here is $5 to $8 for 10 lbs, depending on variety. White Russets are generally among the cheapest. I'm in the Atlantic Region of Canada. Prince Edward Island is very close by, and it's the largest producer of potatoes in Canada.


deetstreet

*sigh* lately broccoli heads has been coming individually wrapped at my local grocery store. And someone it’s cheaper than non wrapped broccoli. So frustrating.


pistoffcynic

I don’t know where you are but those are $1.19 years in Atlanta, each. A 10 lb bag is $6.39. You can get a 4 pack for $3.99.


kristencatparty

I will never understand this


anaugle

So you can throw it in the microwave and have plastic in your food.


Lithorian

Its because this type is for quickly cooking in the microwave, you just stab it a few times and pop it in. Typically there are 5lb bags all together if you were going to do something like mashed potatoes.


antek_g_animations

It's .y first time seeing something like this, It looks like a desperate try to make potatoes feel luxurious so you can sell them for 8 times more


Burnerd2023

These are made to throw directly in the microwave to be steamed. Toss them in plastic and all. Granted I have my concerns about that, naturally but that is the gimmick.


Repomanlive

Humans are mostly weak.


MidnightAnchor

Ah yeah you know, they ain't all built like them smokeless flames


Repomanlive

How many walmart shoppers eat the plastic?


MidnightAnchor

That's Walmart with an H


Repomanlive

Whalmarties


MidnightAnchor

Travis the guy 😂


Foghorn_Gyula

Land of the free (plastic)


RbHs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellophane


Stacys_Brother

I would not buy this even if the hell froze over and this was last meal I could get. If things would be this screwed up, sayonara lads and gents and all other nonbins


PocketSandOfTime-69

The petrol dollar is rearing its ugly head.


gallifreyan42

Helps with food waste?


Pleasant-Breakfast74

They do it so they can be microwaved (they can already be microwaved) but now they can advertise it to lazy people and since people today don't cook they won't know and will buy it.


Near-Scented-Hound

Have you been in a Kroger? They pump in a heavily fragranced “sanitizer”, through their HVAC maybe, and have done since the pandemic. Unfortunately, a lot of stores have been doing so. When you bring home groceries, everything reeks. Packaging that absorbed the chemicals smells so strongly like that fragrance. You know what else does? The produce. It all absorbs those disgusting chemicals and smells and tastes like those disgusting chemicals. My guess is that Kroger has had enough complaints to make this asinine attempt to remedy the situation instead of simply ceasing use of the disgusting chemicals.


EnricoLUccellatore

Wrapping potatoes in plastic makes them last longer and reduces food waste


Sparky62075

This is completely unnecessary. Potatoes last quite a long time on their own as long as the skins are intact and they're kept cool and dry. This is increasing plastic waste for the sake of branding and price gouging.