Thoughts on the produce coating, “apeel”?

SafariGalNYC

Wondering what MFP’ers take on “apeel” is.

If you don’t know it, it’s an additional coating sprayed onto fruits and veggies to make them last longer. It’s made from fatty acids- “mono- and diglycerides that have been derived from plant oils to mimic the natural protection already existing on fruits and vegetables.” (From apeel site.)

It’s allowed in the US .. but not the UK and Not EU for softer peels such as apples or pears, etc.

It’s allowed for use on all fruits and vegetables in Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, and South Africa, without restriction.

It is allowed for use on the following fruits only in the EU and UK: avocados, citrus fruit, mangoes, papayas, melons, bananas, pineapples, and pomegranates. ( only those with a hard or thicker rind.)

When looking for ingredients I find this- (what concerns me is that it doesn’t tell us exactly what plant oils or additional ingredients they use.)

Apeel's Edipeel is composed entirely of a mixture of food grade glycerolipids derived from edible plant oils, specifically the food additive mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, which conform to the specifications set forth by the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC), Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), and the European Union..

Going down the rabbit hole of the internet, I’ve read the main ingredient is grapeseed oil, which is high in omega 6 - though the “peel” would be a small amount.

They don’t release anything further about the proprietary ingredients.

Costco initially signed on to selling fruit coated with Apeel but recently announced they will no longer sell produce with Apeel on it.

So.. I love the idea of less fruit and vegetable waste.. but wonder at what cost? The FDA says it safe but don’t like the idea of having a coating on my food that I can’t wash off. I also don’t like not knowing all the ingredients.

🍎 Thoughts on Apeel?



Some additional reading:

Apeel.com

Fda - https://www.fda.gov/media/135999/download

https://www.momsacrossamerica.com/apeel

Corina1143

It doesn't apeel to me.
They put poison in foods (dyes, for one thing) to make it more appealing, then wonder why we're fat and sick.
I just want food. Period. Not food plus--- nonfood.

Lietchi

'Derived from' makes me think it might contain hydrogenated fats or something similarly unhealthy. The fact that the EU doesn't allow it on fruits and vegetables with a softer/edible peel reinforces that suspicion.

Is it mandatory to indicate the products on which it's used? I would hope so, since it becomes an 'ingredient' of the food you're buying.

I'm glad I'm in the EU and don't have to worry about it!

Theoldguy1

Probably not the best thing to add to food, but honestly there are bigger fish to fry, like calling anything from McDonalds food.

claireychn074

In the UK some of the fruit (and maybe veg ?) has a coating already. No idea what the ingredients are but “waxed” fruit is very common; it’s how fruit such as lemon, limes and tangerines keep for longer. Unwaxed lemons and limes are significantly more expensive and don’t keep well.

I’d rather not eat food coated in stuff, but I suspect the harm to the environment (and then people’s lungs etc) from air freighting food from the other side of the world is more significant. Not to mention the microplastics which are apparently now being found in hearts and blood streams.

If it keeps food fresh for longer and means more people can afford to eat fruit and veg then I’d be cautious rather than instantly dismissive.

sollyn23l2

The horror!!!! You mean they're trying to make our fruits and vegetables last.... longer... so we can.... eat them???? How dare they!!! Boycott all fruit and vegetables now! These poisonous foods must be eliminated!!!

Theoldguy1

Corina1143 wrote: »

It doesn't apeel to me.
They put poison in foods (dyes, for one thing) to make it more appealing, then wonder why we're fat and sick.
I just want food. Period. Not food plus--- nonfood.

We're fat because we consume more calories than we burn. Blaming the appearance of food is a cop out IMO.

SherryRueter

I'm not a fan of it. If EU thinks its unsafe for human consumption then I am more likely to agree that we should not eat it.

AnnPT77

It's usually hard to sort out the realities of this sort of thing, for me. Therefore, on the practical side of things, I try to figure out how much it matters to me.

I'm thinking it will be a very, very long time until the local farmers market vendors start using it on veggies they typically picked that same morning; and that producers will have little motivation to use it on produce that's destined for the frozen market.

Some of my produce comes from other than those two sources, but that accounts for a lot of it. With a product like Apeel, I'd also be less concerned when it's used on things where I don't eat the peel, though I recognize that there can be some effects (besides preservation) on the edible portion.

Overall, as a practical concern for me, based on current information: Meh. There are other things I can focus on that are likely to make a better contribution to my health than religiously avoiding this coating.

Others mileage will vary.

paperpudding

Corina1143 wrote: »

It doesn't apeel to me.
They put poison in foods (dyes, for one thing) to make it more appealing, then wonder why we're fat and sick.
I just want food. Period. Not food plus--- nonfood.

Dyes in food is nothing new so that doesn't concern me.

Apeel doesn't seem a big deal to me either - link in OP is a bit sensationalist - " don't eat ingredients you can't pronounce!" and other silly suggestions.

I am not sick or fat despite eating food dyes in various products and possibly apeel too if it is used in Australia. I do eat imported thick peel fruits like oranges when they are not in season here.

kshama2001

To make BANANAS last longer? Good grief, how green are they picked?!?

I'm going to approach this from a quality perspective - generally, produce that has had a lot of tweaking for very long shelf life is not going to taste as good. For example, the bananas (and pineapples) I had in Costa Rica were like mana from heaven. The ones I have in Massachusetts are acceptable, but just not the same. (I did stop eating them for a few years after returning from my 6 weeks in Costa Rica, where I ate tropical fruit all day, every day, and still dropped a size without trying.)

The strawberries I eat ripe from my garden are superior to supermarket strawberries. Local peaches are to die for. I don't eat raw tomatoes, but I've heard out-of-season tomatoes roundly dissed.

I do eat plenty of non-local produce, but am skeptical of ingredients that will increase shelf life from a quality perspective.

And I also don’t like the idea of having a coating on my food that I can’t wash off.