Whole Foods scraps 'lazy' pre-peeled oranges as Twitter debate turns sour
A supermarket chain peddling organic food has pulled its pre-peeled oranges from shelves, after people went absolutely berserk over the decision to package them in plastic containers.
The outrage was caused by the fact that oranges already come neatly swaddled in a protective waxy wrapping, otherwise known as a peel.
Whole Foods, which runs outlets across the US and UK, have held their hands up and admitted making a ‘mistake.’
“These have been pulled. We hear you, and we will leave them in their natural packaging: the peel,” the company tweeted to scores of angry fruit fans.
@awlilnatty Definitely our mistake. These have been pulled. We hear you, and we will leave them in their natural packaging: the peel.
— Whole Foods Market (@WholeFoods) March 3, 2016
A picture of the offending item sparked the social media outrage, with many environmentally minded folk finding Whole Foods’ choice of packing very unapPEELing.
If only nature would find a way to cover these oranges so we didn't need to waste so much plastic on them. pic.twitter.com/00YECaHB4D
— Nathalie Gordon (@awlilnatty) March 3, 2016
@awlilnatty Fucking hell. That makes me unbelievably angry actually. Talk about necessarily contributing to plastic taking over the planet.
— Swiftie Be (@StephanieBe) March 3, 2016
@WholeFoods@bmoreconnected@awlilnatty How LAZY do you have to be to prefer wrestling open plastic than peel a tangerine?
— Marie CryingBear (@BadponyMedicine) March 3, 2016
One Twitter user found the oranges’ packaging so offensive that he said it made him want to commit arson.
Every time I see a picture of that unpeeled orange in a plastic container I want to burn whole foods down to the ground.
— Happy Bison (@stephdom8626) March 4, 2016
The online debate on the subject has since gone sour, as advocates of the pre-peeled orange highlight that the man-made packaging made it easier for people with disabilities to enjoy the fruit.
@StephanieBe@awlilnatty Just FYI, not everybody is physically able to peel an orange.
— Other Becky (@OtherBecky) March 3, 2016
@BadponyMedicine@WholeFoods@awlilnatty I can peel my own oranges but many people have disabilities. Insensitive!
— Roxanne Donaghy (@PanamaRoxy) March 4, 2016
@WholeFoods This is terrible. There are a lot of people who, for many reasons (arthritis for one) would have great diff peeling an orange
— Asexual Autistic (@Foobs_Fooberman) March 4, 2016
But naturally, as is common on the internet, not everyone is in agreement.
@OtherBecky Maybe they can get someone to help them so we dont have to ruin the entire planet with plastic containers? @StephanieBe
— Aemon Caar (@AemonCaar) March 4, 2016
@OtherBecky@StephanieBe@awlilnatty not everybody is able to open plastic containers, either
— Uncle Clive (@discoclive) March 4, 2016
@PanamaRoxy@WholeFoods@awlilnatty It's a damn tangerine,easier to peel than opening a plastic container!What about the planet? INSENSITIVE
— Marie CryingBear (@BadponyMedicine) March 4, 2016
@otherbecky@awlilnatty You know, as well as i do, that that is NOT who that is marketed towards. Also, the packaging is still superfluous.
— Swiftie Be (@StephanieBe) March 4, 2016
The decision to forgo Mother Nature’s wrapped is strikingly similar to an incident in Austria four years ago.
German supermarket chain, Billa thinks you're all too busy to peel bananas. Now you can buy them pre-peeled. #WTFhttp://t.co/GEkIYmjm
— Joanna (@Eats_Food) September 27, 2012
Back then eco-friendly supermarket Billa were roundly derided for selling peeled bananas covered over with plastic cellophane, with many questioning why anyone in their right mind would do such a thing.
Whenever u feel useless with no purpose, remember that some people once sold pre-peeled bananas and u'll be good. pic.twitter.com/13PRHdccAn
— Catlady-Dee داليا (@PsycheDALIAc) December 7, 2015
The company eventually apologized, saying the sale was a ‘once-off’.