source:  needtoknownews

Summary by JW Williams

Apeel Sciences is a California based company that produces Edipeel, a plant-based film coating barrier that stops produce from losing moisture, thereby slowing down visual spoilage.

Apeel’s product has been maligned on the internet as a Bill Gates and World Economic Forum company that makes produce last three times longer and cannot be washed off. The message includes a screenshot of a safety data sheet for a product called “Apeel” with hazard statements that say that it can cause serious eye damage, allergic skin reaction, and may harm aquatic life with long lasting effects. The Associated Press and other mainstream fact-checkers pointed out that the safety data sheet that was attached to the internet warning was for an entirely different product, also called ‘Apeel’ that is a “hard surface cleaner” and is located in the UK.

The coating reportedly consists of purified monoglycerides and diglycerides that are designated by the Food and Drug Administration as a “generally recognized as safe”, or GRAS, food additive. This suggests that Apeel Science’s product, Edipeel, has bypassed federal safety testing.

Apeel is allowed to be applied to organic foods.
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Dr. Josh Axe wrote in 2021 that he spoke with Vani Hari, the Food Babe, who told him that emulsifiers called “monoglycerides” and “diglycerides” are an additive that is a byproduct of oil processing, including partially hydrogenated canola and soybean oils. This additive  may contain artificial trans fat – a dangerous food ingredient known to cause coronary heart disease and linked to 50,000 fatal heart attacks a year. In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration finally determined that trans fat is no longer generally recognized as safe for food use. Even though mono- and diglycerides may contain trans fat, they aren’t required to be labeled as trans fats on food packages.

Jenny Du, co-founder of Apeel, failed to reveal the exact ingredients of the product. Krysten’s Kitchen published an analysis and wrote that if the mono- and diglycerides are plant derived, she wants to know which plant and what the plant was treated with. She also wrote about the loss of nutritional value in older produce. She lists numerous stores where Apeel-treated produce, including limes, avocados and apples, is being sold. Her article is on Substack

Apeel cannot be washed off without damaging the fruit or vegetable, according to Apeel’s website. Apeel was asked whether the produce is cleaned before application of their sealant and the company responded by saying that the fruits and vegetables are subject to the food safety laws of the countries where they are grown and where they are sold, indicating that Apeel does not have a policy to first clean the foods unless directed by laws of countries that grow and sell the produce.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provided funding for Apeel Sciences in 2012 and again in 2015, according to the AP. Katy Perry and Oprah are also reported to be investors.

The Weston A. Price website asks people to imagine their local organic fruits and vegetables being replaced with produce traveling the world by slow boat and then still looking fresh for an extended time on retail shelves and having reduced nutritional value.

Many health oriented people are buying their foods from local farmers’ markets as a way to try to eat local, fresh and clean produce.

Sources:

Krysten’s Kitchen:     https://krystenskitchen.substack.com/p/the-dangerous-chemical-coating-bill

Associated Press:    https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-apeel-fruit-produce-safety-sheet-867075775325

Dr. Josh Axe:    https://draxe.com/health/dangerous-additive/

Apeel FAQ:    https://www.apeel.com/faq

Weston A. Price:     https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/is-apeel-appealing/#gsc.tab=0