One of the biggest mysteries in the organic produce world right now is how did the new Apeel coating with financial backing from Bill Gates get approved for use on organic produce? You'll see these Apeel stickers on lots of produce items now. It means the produce has a coating on it that seals it up tight against anything getting in or out. Preserves it longer. Like the introduction of the refrigerator. Great!
But what's in this coating? Well, it seems to be shrouded in mystery. The product intended to be organic listed as Organipeel is registered with the EPA as a pesticide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act with a rather short and cryptic ingredient list: Active ingredient - Citric Acid at 0.66%. Other Ingredients (not named) - 99.34%. And that's 100%! Maybe it's listed that way because citric acid could qualify as organic if it's not from a synthetic source. But what about the other 99.34%! Because I'm supposed to eat this coating! Oh, and get this. The EPA requires this caution on the label: Wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling and before eating!
The certificate the Organic Material Review Institute issued to it, that approved it's use on organics, lists it as a fungicide, with no ingredients specified. Hmmm... Not sure what that was based on. This is starting to smell. It reeks of influence peddling. The antiseptic for that smell is always sunlight with a liberal splash of transparency.
I don't know about you, but I'm finding Apeel rather unappealing. I don't think I'll dip my produce in it.
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