Ralphs Grocery Co. is carrying four varieties of The Ugly Co.’s upcycled dried fruit snacks – apricots, cherries, nectarines and peaches – at 184 stores across Southern California.
Headquartered in Farmersville, California, The Ugly Co. prevents food waste by transforming imperfect fruit into natural, single-ingredient snacks.
“More than 38 percent of the food produced in the U.S. each year goes unconsumed, while one in five Californians struggle with hunger. That just doesn’t make sense,” said Salvador Ramirez, corporate affairs manager at Ralphs and Food 4 Less/Foods Co.
“As our community’s neighborhood grocer, we are committed to doing something about it and are excited to welcome The Ugly Co. to our stores to further our impact to cut waste.”
In 2022, The Ugly Co. prevented 2.17 million pounds of fruit from being wasted and has rescued 3.24 million pounds of food waste to date this year.
“The partnership with Ralphs aligns perfectly with our shared mission to create a more sustainable food system,” said Ben Moore, founder and CEO.
“By working together, we can make a significant impact in minimizing waste while supporting our local farmers in the Central Valley. We’re excited to bring our brand to a wider audience of shoppers.”
To celebrate the partnership, The Ugly Co. and Ralphs donated $5,000 to Californians Against Waste, a nonprofit working to reduce pollution and waste, as well as increase recycling and protect the environment.
Read more produce news from The Shelby Report.
About The Ugly Co.
The business was one of the five companies nationwide to win Kroger’s Go Fresh & Local Supplier Accelerator program in 2022.
From among more than 1,600 supplier applications, it was one of 15 finalists selected to participate in the pitch competition, which was judged by executives from various Kroger business lines.
Launched in 2021, the program highlights small growers and retailers in the grocery space.
About Ralphs
Ralphs Grocery Co. is a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., which is based in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has more than 18,000 employees.
From the company’s headquarters in Los Angeles County, Ralphs supports Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste initiative that aims to end hunger in communities and eliminating waste by 2025.
Last year, Ralphs and Food 4 Less/Foods Co. families of stores donated 22,700,000 meals and reused, recycled or composted 81 percent of waste.
