You're about to chomp into a potato chip when you notice it's a bit irregular. It's unusually thick, and it is visibly darker than its counterparts, as if it snuck out the bag to spend a day at the beach.
Many chip makers consider such anomalies ugly, and dedicate layers of quality control to keeping them from reaching consumers.
For Uglies Kettle Chips, such "defects" are intentional.
The Berks County-based company, a division of Dieffenbach's, champions unsightly crisps, which it makes from potatoes that have been rejected or thrown out because of their shape, blemishes, or size.
Robert Zender, the company’s marketing director, told PA Local that Uglies is the only certified upcycling potato chip brand in the world, and that it has diverted 25 million pounds of spuds from landfills since it was founded in 2017.
Upcycling involves taking an item that would have been discarded and repurposing it. The practice, which The Guardian once called, “from trash to table,” is becoming a growing part of the food industry as it tries to reduce waste.
Zender said ugly potatoes shouldn’t be counted out.
“They are still beautiful in our eyes ‘cause they make deliciously beautiful kettle chips,” Zender said of the potatoes the company sources.
Buying unwanted potatoes also helps farmers, he added, explaining that growers can't always control how their crops look. The result of saving those potatoes is crunchy chips packing lots of flavor, this writer can confirm after finishing a bag in less than two days.
“Because of the imperfect nature going into Uglies you have more variation in size and color, and it doesn't affect the quality of the eating experience at all. It actually makes it more fun and delicious to me,” Zender said. Food waste is a big problem in the United States, which discards an estimated 30% to 40% of the food supply, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Uglies wants to help change that.
“It's a huge issue. We are only putting a small dent in the big opportunity for improvement,” Zender said.
In early March, Uglies announced it had upcycled its 25 millionth pound of potato, sourcing the latest haul from a farm in Coudersport, according to a news release.
“We were pretty excited to get to that milestone and celebrate that. It is a big deal for us,” Zender said. “It is a bigger deal because the Dieffenbach family really cares about making a difference for the farming community.” In addition to fighting food waste, Uglies also puts money toward combating world hunger; 10% of its profits go to VivaKids, a religious organization that supports child centers in the developing world.
Next month, Uglies will have a scale model of its kettle cooker near baggage claim at Harrisburg International Airport. Elam Dieffenbach, the retired former co-owner of Dieffenbach’s, made the model, which also appeared at last year’s PA Farm Show.
“It is a point of pride for Pennsylvanians traveling out of there knowing there are hometown brands they can support,” Zender said.
Zender said Uglies plans to roll out new flavors and bag sizes in the future. There are currently seven available flavors: cheddar and sour cream, buffalo ranch, barbecue, sea salt, jalapeno, sweet potato, and salt and vinegar.
All of them, of course, are eyesores.—Tanisha Thomas, newsletter writer
To snag Uglies near you, go to ugliessnacks.com/find-and-buy. | 
