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A Coles shopper was shocked when he discovered that his local supermarket was selling a popular fruit for an exorbitant amount.

The customer, known as Samuel, posted on Coles’ Facebook page showing photographic evidence of the price of pre-packaged red birdseye chillies. The tag was clearly marked $175 per kilogram.

In comparison, the same chillies were being sold loose for a mere $28/kg – an insane discount of $147.

birdseye chilli prices

Robbery!

“Would someone like to try their hardest to justify the price difference and the $175kg for birdseye chilli?,” Samuel ranted.

“It’s plain robbery at that price. $147kg for that packaging,” he added.

Coles Explains

A Coles spokesperson explained to New Idea Food that a range of factors went into the enormous ticket price.

These factors include: “transportation costs, manufacturing changes and stock availability.”

“There is customer demand for prepacked chillies and the additional labour and packaging requirements mean that they come at an additional cost,” the supermarket said.

“We will continue to offer customers a choice between loose and pre-packed chillies.”

I guess it’s a good thing that chillies don’t weigh that much.

Should You Stay Away From Pre-Packaged Fruit And Veggies?

In general, it seems that pre-packed fruit and vegetables are significantly more expensive than the loose variety.

Another example is salmon – From the deli when it’s not on special it’s $30 a kilo whereas on the shelf it’s $48 a kilo.

Loose mushrooms are also almost always cheaper than the plastic packaged mushrooms. However, a mushroom expert has warned that a few difference in dollars could mean fresher produce.

“I actually work in the mushroom industry and I would buy pre-packaged ones. They are picked and packed on the same day as the boxes and no one has touched them.”

“If you watch people, they rummage through the box looking for a good mushroom which causes damage and bruising to them, and you’re not meant to wash mushrooms. So unless you like everyone else’s cooties, buy pre-packaged.”

Why Are Chillies A Fruit?

Just in case you’re saying to yourself – “this writer is ridiculous – don’t they know a chilli is a vegetable?”

Well, in actual fact chillies have internal, edible seeds which class it as a fruit. Other so-called vegetables that are fruit include: tomatoes, zucchini, okra, and eggplant.

Do you tend to buy loose or pre-packed fruit, vegetables and deli items? Tell us in the comments below.

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  • I just grow my own – very simple to do and the excess gets frozen for a further year.

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  • Always look at the per kg price

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  • I buy the cheapests per kg regardless of if its loose or prepacked

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  • If people want to purchase packaged fruit and vegetables over loose ones then they will pay through the nose. I like to choose my own so I tend to skip packaged ones.

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  • Usually lose ones

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  • Unbelievable. It’s definitely worth growing our own.

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  • I usually buy loose, but I always look at the price per gram to compare. It totally changes the way I shop. For example sometimes it’s cheaper to buy chicken breast pre packed compared to the deli.

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  • What the actual f bomb. Big businesses should be helping out the little people at this time not extaughting us

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  • I buy either, dependent on what my needs are at the time. But simply, if things are deemed too expensive, don’t buy them. Thankfully I never eat chillies.

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  • Easier is to grow your own chillies. They are super easy to grow and probably taste a whole let better too.

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  • I usually buy whatever is cheapest

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  • I buy most of my fruit and vegetables loose these days. I just prefer to pick my own and then if something is wrong with it I can’t blame anyone but myself.

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  • They aren’t doing anything wrong. The price is clearly displayed and they have a loose option there. if you don’t want to pay it, but loose. Everyone has to put in there two cents on social media now don’t they?

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  • Always purchased loose fruit and vegetables. That way I know exactly what I’m getting.

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  • I tend to buy loose

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