Some Whole Foods customers have been voicing their frustrations about the chain’s produce quality this spring, taking to Reddit to report on issues with food sold at their local stores. Reports of “old,” “moldy” and “damaged” produce have been circulating among shoppers, with them discussing a “growing concern” about the quality of food that the chain is selling.
On the social media site, one Whole Foods customer started a conversation with others by describing some produce they reportedly found at Brooklyn and Manhattan locations that was “nasty.” Others then began sharing their experiences with Whole Foods produce, with another commenter expressing that it “isn’t what it used to be.”
Is Whole Foods' Produce Up to Par? Customers on Reddit Weigh In
This season, Redditor @Kiyanni1 created a thread titled, "Has anyone been noticing how bad the quality of Whole Foods produce has been recently?"
They added, "I went to the location in Brooklyn (well the 365 location) and the one in Manhattan (Bryant Park) and I noticed the produce was terrible."
The user continued, "The quality sucked and I make it a habit to buy organic, quality produce but I had to walk out recently because of how nasty the produce was. It was old, moldy, damaged and the quality sucked."
Fellow shoppers then began chiming in with similar stories, and noting that they could "relate" to the thread creator. One commented, "It’s still better than most of the other grocery stores around me but I agree it isn’t what it used to be."
The disheartened shopper wrote, "I find moldy or overripe produce more often now when it used to always be perfect. Hopefully spring/summer will help some. The quality of meat has also severely declined in the last few years since Amazon took over but definitely more in the last year."
One other commenter identified themselves as a Whole Foods employee, and wrote, "They only care about numbers. You should see how much perfectly fine produce we throw in the dumpster."
They went on, "Whole Foods saying it’s local is a bunch of bulls—t. We get pork from Canada for God’s sake. We have states in the Midwest that have more pigs per capita than people."
They continued, "You’re in NYC so you have a ton of farmer’s markets, maybe find a place that is actually local and at least uses product from the States. I would focus on buying local rather than buying organic. Organic is pretty much made up and the amount of money it costs to be certified and stay certified means only big companies can afford it."
Another apparent Whole Foods worker joined in to the chat, writing, "I do in-store shopping sometimes and I know the training has taught me to try to find the best for my customers but quite frankly, there is no "best" when it comes to organic produce."
Someone on the West Coast wrote, "I’ve noticed an increase of beyond local produce in general. "We love local" if they sell at good prices."
According to Whole Foods, their produce department is a "sight to behold, from stacks of crisp organic apples to rows of juicy Sourced for Good pineapples, but that’s just the beginning."
On its site, the grocer chain describes itself to be the "first (and only) certified organic national grocer."
"Our field inspectors visit farms to select the best-tasting fruits and vegetables at peak season. And we're proud to feature produce from local farmers in our stores," its website reads under the 'Produce Department' section.
