I'm not so fussy on the produce aisle--if the fruit or veggie is in good shape and simply is oddly shaped or having a scar on it, I'll pick it up. I'm a gardener and have eaten my sometimes perfect and sometimes not-so-perfect bounty for years. Since what I grow or buy usually gets cut up to be eaten raw, or is cut up and cooked, a scar or odd spot can be left on or cut off, depending on the produce. I do this consciously because I shop at a market that operates on a slim profit margin (I don't buy mealy apples or overripe avocados, etc., I'm not talking about that kind of imperfection!). I figure this is my way to help keep this low-cost grocery store in the neighborhood.

I'm also back here to say that I don't think this idea is a "myth" or a "legend." The place I heard it was an authoritative sort of program and I've heard no good reason for dismissing it as suspect.

SRS