What is Apeel? Apeel is a coating on fruits and vegetables that come from far places or countries. This coating helps it stay fresh for longer, but may have health consequences.
Let take a look. Using edible coatings on produce is a practice with a long history such as sealing fruits and vegetables with beeswax. But the questions is, why use Apeel and not beeswax?
Apeel is classified as a food additive, meaning it goes through a different approval process than a pesticide.
Under the FDA’s current system, companies can determine whether a substance is “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) without even notifying the FDA.
That’s right. Apeel decides if its product is safe. They’re supposed to have scientific consensus and expert review to back that up, but the process is largely self-regulated.
This NRDC study found many loop holes that allow the potential use of toxins.
Labeling Apeel as a coating enables it to sidestep additional scrutiny. Being classified as an emulsifier grants Apeel exemption from the FDA’s prohibition on partially hydrogenated oils. Even if it were to contain trans fats, it could still be utilized. These regulatory loopholes and inconsistencies are troubling.
Heavy Toxic Trace Metals
Even more worrisome are findings indicating many are skeptical about heavy metals in Apeel’s products such as cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic.
In fairness, it’s important to acknowledge that many foods naturally contain trace amounts of heavy metals due to environmental contamination. However, the critical question remains: Do we wish to introduce additional unnecessary toxins?
Persistent exposure to heavy metals has been associated with various health concerns, spanning from developmental issues to cancer. Therefore, heightened vigilance regarding the presence of such contaminants in food products is paramount for safeguarding public health.
