Controversial Coles' item sparks outrage among shoppers: "Are we really that lazy?"
A new product in Coles’ produce section has left some shoppers baffled and questioning how “lazy” consumers are becoming.
The supermarket’s pre-diced brown onion – priced at $1.50 for a 150g tub and advertised as “perfectly diced onion for no more tears!” – has divided opinions on social media.
“Are we really that lazy that we can no longer dice our own onions?” Northern Beaches Clean Up Crew posted on their Facebook page. “So much unnecessary plastic! Coles, please stop selling this!”
Many social media users also expressed disapproval in the comment section, describing the idea as “ridiculous” and “sad”.
“Chopped onion goes bad so quickly! Why waste money in something that won’t last a couple days when unchopped ones last ages,” a disgruntled customer wrote.
“When you see something like this on the shelves tell the manager. Don’t buy it and let it rot on the shelves, the only way to stop this is to hurt them in the pocket,” another added.
However, others defended the item as a great help for people with disability.
“Not everyone has the ability to cut up foods. It’s not about laziness,” one chimed in.
“Arthritis and illnesses like MS make it almost impossible for some people to chop fruit and veg. The elderly also benefit from pre-chopped veg,” one commented. “Yes I agree plastic is a problem but there’s a real need for these products.”
A Coles spokesperson said the retailer’s diced onion serves a multitude of purposes for modern Aussie shoppers.
“We know that cutting onions is a task many of our customers do not like – it can quite literally bring them to tears,” the spokesperson told news.com.au.
“So this is another example of where Coles has done the work for you.”
The spokesperson said the product packaging could be recycled through REDcycle soft plastic recycling bins at Coles supermarkets.
The pre-chopped food trend is not limited to Coles or Australia alone. A shopper noted that Harris Farm Markets also offers chopped up fresh produce. “For broccoli and pumpkin and anything else they can think of. [All] while bragging about being plastic free and having signs out the front saying bring your own containers etc,” she wrote.
Last year, UK supermarket Marks & Spencer pulled its “cauliflower steaks” or pre-sliced cauliflower off the shelves following backlash.