Apeel Sciences, Inc. has globally introduced a sprayed product that coats fresh fruits and vegetables with a manufactured substance without obtaining consumer consent. Apeel, a food coating already utilized on fresh produce in 65 countries across all continents, is marketed as all-natural despite being produced using toxic solvents such as heptane and ethyl acetate.

Remarkably, Apeel is even found on organic produce in the United States, and according to the company's website, it cannot be washed off. While regulatory bodies in various countries have approved Apeel's product for use on fresh produce, including organic items meant to be free from industrial contamination, many remain unconvinced of its safety. Apeel's own FDA documents reveal that the manufacturing process involves toxic heavy metals and solvents, which can accumulate in the human body over time and contribute to numerous health conditions including chronic illness.

Despite Apeel's marketing message emphasizing the naturalness of their edible product and their intention to combat food waste, the reality is that this product primarily serves to maximize profits for grocery store chains and Apeel itself, as it is cheaply produced and applied extensively worldwide.

Apeel's own website acknowledges that their coating cannot be completely removed from fruits and vegetables without causing damage, leaving consumers with no means to prevent exposure to the product. This is concerning.

While the current industrial Apeel product may be generally safe for consumption according to the US FDA, are we sure of the long term health risks of consuming this secret ingredient? Regrettably, there is a lack of available data from long-term randomized-controlled double-blind trail regarding the effectiveness of Apeel and its potential side effects.

The primary responsibility of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to safeguard the American population from potentially hazardous drugs and synthetic food additives. However, the assurance of safety cannot be solely reliant on FDA approval. Detractors argue that the pharmaceutical & food industries both heavily finance FDA evaluations of new drugs and food additives, leading to a conflict of interest. Instead of prioritizing the public's well-being, the agency appears to be overly concentrated on expediting drug and synthetic food additive approvals to please the pharmaceutical and food giants. Furthermore, the FDA faces shortcomings in terms of authority and financial resources, hindering its ability to adequately ensure public protection.

Founded in 2012 with a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Apeel has rapidly grown to a billion-dollar valuation within a decade, attracting investments from notable figures like Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Katy Perry, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Apeel was even recognized as a 2018 World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, despite being marketed as a natural product rather than a technology.

Apeel is composed of "food-grade mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids derived from plants." The FDA categorizes monoglycerides as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) food additives and ingredients, indicating that they do not pose an immediate health risk. Currently, food producers typically use monoglycerides and diglycerides in small quantities, making it difficult to determine the impact of consuming large amounts of these fats on human health. Monoglycerides contain small traces of trans fats, which occur naturally in various types of meat, dairy, and, to a lesser extent, plant- or nut-based oils. While small amounts of trans fats are not concerning, consuming significant quantities of trans fats has been linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.

However, due to monoglycerides being a type of fat, consuming excessive amounts of foods high in monoglycerides may not be healthy. Additionally, many foods that contain added emulsifiers also tend to have high levels of saturated and trans fats, such as baked goods and fried foods. During the manufacturing process, mixtures of monoglycerides and diglycerides can potentially become contaminated with very small amounts of toxins, including lead, nickel, ash, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic.

It is evident that wealthy interests aim to proliferate Apeel on our fresh fruits and vegetables for their own gain. However, what is the cost to human health, especially when this product is applied to our most nutritious food? With Apeel, buying an organic apple no longer guarantees it is purely organic. Apeel is already being sprayed on a wide range of produce, including organic apples at Costco in the US, strawberries, asparagus, pineapple, melons, cucumbers, and more, with consumers barely aware of it.

In Germany, lemons and avocados are covered in Apeel, but do consumers realize that this coating penetrates the outer skin of the produce? Apeel demands closer scrutiny regarding its short-term and long-term effects on human health. Consumers deserve to know that their food is being coated with a manufactured product that is not truly natural. Apeel's own patents and FDA documents indicate that it undergoes high heat, voltage, and other forms of processing. The presence of secret ingredients is alarming. How could this toxic coating be applied to lemons, organic apples, avocados, oranges, grapefruits, asparagus, mangos, and other produce without our knowledge? What has happened to consumer choice, requirements for consumer awareness of food additives, and the regulatory authorities responsible for safeguarding our food supply?

Although Apeel and its product, Edipeel, received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it does not imply that consumers desire to consume organic apples coated in a highly processed polymer. While Apeel may be derived from grape seeds, a natural source, its manufacturing process involves high heat, voltage, toxic solvents, and exposure to heavy metals. Even small amounts of toxins can accumulate over time and lead to toxicity.