In the same gleaming aisle were $2 assortments of fruit and other produce on polystyrene trays - all secured in plastic wrap.
"People have had enough of the plastic wrap," Ms Dempster said.
Unpackit canvassed the public for nominations, and such cling-wrapped vegetables were suggested time and time again.
The other examples of poor packaging, which skew towards items raising environment concerns, include multi-packs for Arnott's Shapes and cup noodles made by Fantastic.
Arnott's puts 12 plastic packets of the flavoured crackers inside a bigger plastic bag, an arrangement described as making extra waste and litter.
Fantastic's noodles, meanwhile, are put in non-recyclable polystyrene cups, topped with non-recyclable foil lids and encased in non-recyclable plastic film.
Kerbside recycling cannot take polystyrene, which can clog, stop, and break recycling equipment, according to local authorities.
"By placing polystyrene out in your recycling, you could contaminate an entire truckload of recycling material, meaning it can't be recycled," says the old Auckland City website.
Foodstuffs executive manager Melissa Hodd said the company's supermarkets - which include New World - considered waste reduction a priority.
"Many New Zealand consumers are following the global trend towards purchasing more sustainable products, including a preference for products with minimal packaging," Ms Hodd said.
"Foodstuffs have identified the need to deliver more environmentally friendly options to our customers, which is why we are currently looking at the best ways to bring better packaging options to our stores."
Pre-packaged trays of vegetables let customers see the final cost of the items, unlike the per-kilo cost for loose produce. For fresh meat, food safety was a key factor in packaging choice.
Arnott's too says it is committed to reducing packaging and waste. It has recently switched to 95 per cent recycled cardboard for its boxes, and recyclable plastic for its biscuit trays.
"As one of the largest food companies in Asia Pacific, Arnott's takes its commitment to the environment very seriously," a spokeswoman said.
The Shapes multi-packs met a growing demand for single-serve, on-the-go treats and were designed to "minimise biscuit breakage" and "ensure seal integrity", she said.
Alongside the worst packaging, Unpackit also nominates the best examples, which this year are led by compostable coffee bags - made by a New Zealand company and said to be a world-first.
Caffe Prima puts its freshly roasted coffee beans in bags with special ventilation. Coffee beans give off carbon dioxide for up to five days after being roasted, and the trick has been creating a compostable alternative to one-way valves.
Award organisers said the bags had received the most nominations this year.
Apple's iPhone 4 has also been nominated for its "extremely minimal" packaging.
Ms Dempster said most environmentally friendly packaging had a "particular look" - and Apple had broken the mould with its designer box without wasteful parts.
"To see such a mainstream product having good packaging was a bit of a surprise," she said.
Winners of the Unpackit Packaging Awards will be chosen by public vote.
Voting will open on Monday and run through to June 1.
* Vote at unpackit.org.nz until June 1.
BEST PACKAGING
* PotatoPak
* Nude Food Movers
* Apple iPhone 4 - Award organisers praised the phone's "extremely minimal" packaging - which just fits the phone and components. Ongoing improvements have seen the packaging reduced by 42 per cent between 2007 and 2010. It is now almost entirely recyclable.
* Chux Biodegradable Superwipes
* IdealCup
* Caffe Prima - The New Zealand company claims to have come up with the world's first compostable bag for freshly-roasted coffee beans. Coffee beans give off CO2 for up to five days after being roasted, necessitating ventilation, and the trick was creating a compostable alternative to valves. Award organisers said they received the most nominations this year for Caffe Prima.
* Bin Inn
* Eco-store Dishwasher Tablets
WORST PACKAGING
* New World "meat tray madness"
* Arnott's Shapes 12-Pack - The crackers are packaged in mini "pillow packs" to look like chip packets. Award organisers said crackers were less fragile than chips, and did not need "super-protective" packaging.
* Fantastic Noodles in a Cup
* Plastic-wrapped vegetables on a meat tray - A popular nomination this year. New World Metro yesterday offered courgettes either loose or, for the same price per kg, wrapped on a meat tray three at a time. Award organisers said many people were clearly frustrated to see such unnecessary packaging.
* Sunsweet Individually Wrapped Prunes
* Barbie - Award organisers said this was a classic example of bad toy packaging. "Completely over-the-top for the size of the toy, plastic not identified so can't be recycled. Plus the frustration factor of being time-consuming and tricky to unwrap."
* Oral B Toothbrush Heads
* Disposable Coffee Cup
