Fruits and vegetables may look appealing, but stay away from any with an “Apeel” sticker on it

BY MICHAEL THOMAS

As a boy on my island vegetables and fruits were plentiful. What were not common were pesticides and artificial sustaining gimmicks, and I do believe it is because the latter was not prevalent in the Caribbean back then, that I am still alive and healthy today.

It has been brought to Toronto Caribbean Newspaper’s attention that fruits and vegetables with the brand or sticker that says “Apeel” can pose a health hazard to consumers, so we have decided to take a closer look and find out who is behind this brand, what is this brand all about and more.

Here is what we have found out so far. This is a short read from Apeel’s site claiming that all is well.

Edipeel is a thin, edible postharvest coating made from plant-derived materials that extend the shelf-life of fresh fruits and vegetables by slowing moisture loss and reducing oxidation.

Apeel’s Edipeel meets the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements for qualification as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) in the United States as a surface-finishing agent for fresh fruits and vegetables.

Edipeel is also allowed for use on all fruits and vegetables in: Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, and South Africa, without restriction.

This is a list of some of the vegetables and fruits that are covered with this stuff: avocados, citrus fruit, mangoes, papayas, melons, bananas, pineapples, and pomegranates.

As we see in the above paragraph Apeel was quick to name the countries where its product is accepted, named the merchandise on which you will find its products, but when it came to breaking down the contents of its product in layman’s terms, I find them woefully lacking clarity.

Here is the explanation.

Apeel’s Edipeel is composed entirely of a mixture of food-grade glycerolipids derived from edible plant oils, specifically the food additive mono- and di-glycerides 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.

The (FCC) FAO/WHO(JECFA) and the European Union? I was wondering why they mentioned these five impressive entities instead of telling us what exactly is in this product, but after looking closer I can see why.

Once the WHO is mentioned, Apeel might as well add in the United Nations, because that’s an extension of the same arm. These are all organizations within organizations with very questionable reputations and intentions.

Consumers must do their due diligence when it comes to food products and these days, I recommend a double dose. Here is some more information from Apeel.

Founded in 2012, Apeel Sciences continues to develop products for USDA Organic Certified and conventional produce categories. Headquartered in Goleta, CA, they work with partners ranging from small growers to the world’s largest food brands.

Something troubling about this solution is that even if you try washing it off there is no guarantee you will succeed. This is all in the company’s documents.

It is very important to note here that Apeel has the backing of the establishment behind them, not to mention they are making sure they corner the market from small growers to mega food brands. This means we, as consumers, must be vigilant.

After some digging, I found the nine-page hazard document from Apeel.

Here are the side effects of the ingredients in Apeel.

H226 Flammable liquid and vapor; H302 Harmful if swallowed. H304 may be fatal if swallowed and enters the airways. H315 Causes skin irritation; H317 may cause an allergic skin reaction. H318 Causes serious eye damage. H400 is very toxic to aquatic life. H411 is toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects. H412 is harmful to aquatic life with long-lasting effects.

As a rule, fruits and vegetables are to be consumed and this must happen before they go bad. Additives that prolong the life of these products must never be trusted. This is like embalming a dead body; you are trying to keep things beyond their natural expiry date.