ONE OF the most ridiculed directives ever issued by the European Union – that bent cucumbers and bananas could not be offered to sale – is scrapped today (July 1) following intense lobbying in Brussels by British MEPs.

These rules, although they caused world-wide hilarity and became a source of deep embarrassment to EU bureaucrats, did in fact cause major harm to British framers and growers: it meant that millions of tonnes of mis-shaped fruit and vegetables were wasted although they were perfectly good to eat.

Supermarkets – if they so wish – can now begin to sell mis-shaped produce, presumably at a lower price, a boon at this time of the year for home-cooks who like to make preserves like strawberry jam, when taste, not looks, are the main attraction.

Food and Farming Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said yesterday:“The new marketing regulations will help supermarkets and greengrocers label their fruit and vegetables correctly, and will provide more choice for people who aren’t bothered by what shape their five a day comes in. It also means that producers and suppliers won’t be stuck with as many leftovers, so there’ll be less food waste.”