Shopper notices bizarre quirk in Aldi Australia pumpkins

A frustrated shopper has demanded to know why Aldi slices off ‘the smallest amount’ of their pumpkins before putting them in shrink wrap.

The shopper took a photo of the offending shrink-wrapped vegetable and noted the packaging doesn’t have a barcode ‘just a best before date’.

‘Pumpkin lasts weeks uncut. Seems incredibly wasteful,’ they said.

‘Just seems strange to cut a narrow edge off? Not a half or quarter like cabbage is sometimes,’ he added.

And it appears other Australian Aldi customers had noticed the same thing.

But the retailer claims it is actually done to reduce waste, so that fruit which wouldn’t typically meet their quality standards don’t need to be thrown out. 

Some people were quick to come up with their own reasons for the odd ‘thin slice’.

‘They sell it cut or whole, and by weight, when they cut a small amount off they can charge more,’ one said.

Another added: ‘Some people want to see what it looks like on the inside before they buy, in case they have had bad ones before so they cut a bit off.’ 

And a third confirmed: ‘I asked the store person once they told me it’s so they can see if the pumpkin is mouldy.’ 

Some believed it could be a case of ‘human error’.

‘Butternut and Kent are both sold either cut or whole. Normally there cut in half and sold but this one seems to have just been cut a little less then most. It’s the suppliers fault. They must have just not cut it correctly,’ one man said.

‘Whoever was doing the cuts that batch probably misjudged a few. They do hundreds a day so if it’s a couple of dozen, it’s not too bad,’ said another.

Some hit the nail on the head though and explained it is done to avoid throwing the whole pumpkin out.

The customer didn’t understand why it had to be cut 

‘There was probably imperfections where that bit was cut off and the supplier didn’t want to waste the lot,’ one woman said.

‘They get blemishes when they grow laying on the ground, and people don’t like food unless it’s perfect, so cutting it off is the easiest way to still get it into a supermarket.’ 

An Aldi spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia said a variety of cut and whole pumpkins are available for the customer’s convenience.

‘Our cut pumpkin comes in a variety of weights and sizes, providing an alternative for those who don’t need a whole pumpkin,’ they said.

‘By offering this option, we’re also able to help reduce food waste on the farm by allowing our growers to use produce that may not meet the exact specifications for a whole pumpkin.

‘To ensure the quality and freshness of our cut pumpkin, it’s packaged in a shrink wrap film.’