A food innovation that promises to keep produce fresh two times longer is causing much controversy after consumers found that the fruit coating contains heavy metals and other possibly unhealthy substances.
Apeel Sciences, a food technology company backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, developed a fruit coating from mono- and diglycerides derived from grape seed that creates a thin and edible barrier that stops moisture loss and oxidation, effectively extending the freshness of produce. While the product has shown efficacy, its components have caused alarm.
In its 2019 FDA Generally Recognized as Safe submission, Apeel listed potentially hazardous chemicals and heavy metals as residues found in its products. These include:
Ethyl Acetate - a solvent found in paints, varnishes, and cleaning materials.
Heptane - an alkane found in mechanical, industrial, and home products, including engine fluid.
Palladium - a metal used in cars and jewelry.
Arsenic - a natural component that is highly toxic in its inorganic form and may cause chronic poisoning and skin cancer.
Lead - the element is found in the environment but is mainly used in solders, gasoline, batteries, and ammunition.
Mercury - a toxic liquid metal mainly used in the chemical industry.
In the GRAS submission, Apeel clarified that despite these materials being present in its formula, these are "well below safe exposure limits." Nonetheless, this has caused concern among consumers, especially since more supermarkets and produce stores are using Apeel.
Some have noted that these toxic substances are known to build up and accumulate in the body over time which pose health risks even if consumed in small quantities at a time.
According to the National Library of Medicine, heavy metals may disrupt humans' metabolic functions, as well as affect the heart, brain, kidneys, bone, and liver.
Amid the backlash, Apeel Sciences highlighted on its website that it does not add heavy metals nor does it use solvents in its manufacturing.
"Plants naturally absorb heavy metals from the soil, water, and air," it explained, adding that the 2019 FDA GRAS data "do not represent our current manufacturing process."
Comments