EU relaxes rules on ugly fruits and vegetables

It’s time to welcome back the curvy zucchini, the mangled mushroom and other odd and ugly fruits and vegetables.

The European Union bid adieu Wednesday to rules that have cemented its image as an ivory tower: starting next summer, it will allow the sale of fruit and vegetables that may be crooked, bent or twisted but are fine for consumption.

"This marks the new dawn for the curvy cucumber and the knobbly carrot," EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said. "We simply don’t need to regulate this. In these days of high food prices and general economic difficulties, consumers should be able to choose from the widest range of products possible."