Why are WA supermarkets selling ‘X-rated’ onions?
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Have any of our dear members in Western Australia ever noticed and pondered the question of why the onions that are sold in supermarkets are "naked"?
To clarify, when we refer to them as "naked", we mean that they have been totally stripped of their outer coverings and are arranged in neat stacks in the fresh produce area.
It turns out that there is a perfectly good reason for this, and the answer may not be what you were expecting.
Coles customers have resorted to social media to ask why the onions of Western Australia are ‘naked’. Credit: Twitter/@LHendricks7.
The mystery surrounding the 'naked' onions was first brought to light some years ago when several Coles customers took to social media to ask why the bulbs are being offered skinless at their local supermarkets.
One enraged customer vented his frustration on Twitter, asking fellow Aussies, "Are we getting lazier or what!?"
Another user agreed and (quite wittily, we think) added that seeing the peeled onions for sale was "enough to make someone cry".
These sentiments are not limited to Twitter. Several readers on the popular forum site Reddit also inquired as to why these 'naked' onions are only available at WA supermarkets.
Many people claimed that they had never seen peeled onions displayed in the fresh produce aisle anywhere else in Australia.
When asked why they were worried about the onion's lack of skin, the original poster said that they were a little dubious about picking these up and bringing them home, as they may end up stinking their cupboard.
"Or the fact that other folks have touched these onions with their skins off, it's a little nasty," they added.
Coles has explained why its West Australian supermarkets sell skinless onions. Credit: news.com.au.
The reason why West Australian onions are sold without their skins has been a source of controversy and rumours for a number of years, but a representative for Coles has finally come forward to explain the reason behind the 'naked' onions.
Turns out, the onion skins are removed not because they are deformed, infected or anything – they're just… ugly.
The representative for the company admitted that onions grown in Western Australia are more 'unsightly' than those grown on the east coast, which is why the onions were being sold without their skins.
"Due to local growing conditions, onion skin quality differs from those grown in the eastern states," she explained.
"So in WA, Coles sells red and white onions without the skin in a range that is unique to that state."
The 'naked' onions are not available in other Australian states and territories because the majority of the fresh produce sold in our WA stores is sourced locally from Western Australian farmers.
These 'naked' red and white onions have been sold by Coles for almost 20 years now, and they are immensely popular with customers.
Beauty may be everything these days, but we still believe that what's on the inside is what really matters.
What do you think, folks, especially our friends in WA? Does this make you change your mind about the skinless onions you find at the supermarket?
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