The broccoli is tossed into a heaving trolley and is soon hidden by the rest of the shopping. Just before a final fling into the pan, in many households, between a fifth and a third is thrown away.
I raised the matter in one supermarket. The manager told me that the long stem is there to protect the rest of the broccolli. I replied that if the proper cut is made, 95% of the piece you see cut off but which was attached to the sold broccoli, would not have reached the supermarket veg section.
The manager then said that housewives would use the off-cut in soup. I asked "How much broccoli soup could she make with 0.055 kilogram of broccolli?" "She would need to collect all her veg trimmings for several days to make mixed veg soup." That was followed up with "How many housewives make soup?".
I raised the matter in one supermarket. The manager told me that the long stem is there to protect the rest of the broccolli. I replied that if the proper cut is made, 95% of the piece you see cut off but which was attached to the sold broccoli, would not have reached the supermarket veg section.
The manager then said that housewives would use the off-cut in soup. I asked "How much broccoli soup could she make with 0.055 kilogram of broccolli?" "She would need to collect all her veg trimmings for several days to make mixed veg soup." That was followed up with "How many housewives make soup?".