Baby carrots don’t grow in nature.
They’re actually a man-made product and were first introduced into the market in 1986 as a way to cut down on waste. (1)
Supermarkets back in the ’80s didn’t buy “ugly” looking carrots because consumers didn’t want them.
Even though every carrot offers the same nutrients regardless of how deformed it is.
How Baby Carrots Are Made
In fact, baby carrots are nothing more than oddly shaped carrots that have been shaved down to a smaller size.
While these perfect bite-sized snacks have been credited with saving the wasteful carrot industry, things could still be made better by educating people that imperfect carrots are just as nutritious as good-looking ones. (2)
Most baby carrots are made, for most part, of these:
The leftover carrot scraps are usually used to compost soil, be turned into animal feed, or become juice.
Cost And Chlorine
Not only are baby carrots slightly more expensive than regular carrots, they’re also typically given a chlorine bath to prolong shelf life and kill any bacteria. (3)
If that makes you uneasy, you can always choose to go organic.
“Organic growers use a citrus based non-toxic solution called citrox, the natural alternative to synthetic biocides for the decontamination of fresh produce, food and beverages,” says the World Carrot Museum. (4)
