According to the most recent statistics from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, food loss and waste is said to be about 30-40 percent of the nation’s food supply.

With this in mind, Abhi Ramesh, of Pennsauken Township, N.J., launched Misfits Market in 2018.

With the tagline, “Always fresh, sometimes normal,” Misfits Market is an online grocery delivery service that sells “ugly” organic produce for a huge discount.

“Wasted food is the single largest category of material thrown in landfills,” said Ramesh, 29. “The reason that it’s considered ugly or imperfect is that it might have a few bruises, blemishes, gnarls, scratches or scarring that make it a little less appealing for shoppers who want perfect-looking fruits and vegetables.”

In 2020, Misfits Market shipped 77 million pounds of food to more than 400,000 households across the country. Since the company started, Misfits Market has expanded to more than 1,000 employees.

“After visiting a farm several years ago I realized that the farmer would throw away certain fruits and vegetables,” Ramesh said. “He called it misfit produce and said he wasn’t able to sell it to grocery stores or even farmers markets. These so-called imperfections are naturally occurring and have nothing to do with the quality of the food.

“With the growing popularity of the on-demand lifestyle, more and more of us are relying on getting whatever we want the moment we want it. It’s also clear that we have transitioned into a digitally driven culture that loves the convenience of front-door delivery.”

According to Ramesh, his fruits and veggies are offered at prices that are up to 40 percent cheaper than what one would pay at a grocery store. “The mission of my startup has been to combat food waste and offer affordable access to nutritious food for people across the United States,” he said.