The concern about keeping vegetables and fruits fresh has led to all kinds of innovations, most of which are not good for us. I once walked into an Eastern supermarket and found the manager of the vegetable department coating cucumbers with Johnson’s wax. That was in the years before there was such concern for food safety as we find among consumers today. He justified it by saying “everyone was doing it."

The ever-busy Mr. Gates has invested in a new product to do the same kind of job of keeping produce edible longer. Finding the truth about this product is a challenge. Those with vested interests defend its safety. Those who are more concerned about customers' health over monetary gain have other things to say about this substance that coats produce peels.

In checking a Youtube video by Dr. Eric Berg, D.C., he had some very interesting things to say. Although the active ingredient is citric acid, 99.34% of the product is listed as “Other Ingredients.” It does contain monoglycerides and diglycerides. So, what do these chemicals do?

According to eatingrealfood.com, they are emulsifiers whose job is to allow oil and water to mix. The purpose is to extend the shelf-life for consumers and the produce department. They can also be used on other foods. Think of peanut butter that separates and requires deep stirring to get the oils to mix with the ground peanuts. An emulsifier would take care of that problem. “Monoglycerides and diglycerides.”

The way these substances are produced is to heat oil at a high temperature. Triglycerides are part of the oil used. Heat causes them to rearrange into monoglycerides and diglycerides. To facilitate the process, they use an alkaline catalyst, such as calcium hydroxide, a form of lime that makes pickles firm, or sodium hydroxide more commonly known as lye. By the way, pickling lime is alkaline. Home-canned pickles using this substance can cause botulism. The reason is that vinegar kills the bacteria, however, if the solution is overly alkaline, it might allow the bacteria to grow.

Lye is a very corrosive substance and is often used in soap making. It can burn skin. (You probably don’t want to eat soap, so they have to halt the process by using another strong chemical) By the way, drain cleaner is made from sodium hydroxide.

Phosphate salts are a form of phosphorus which is an essential body mineral. However, in the salt form, it can have a laxative effect. The makers of Apeel probably don’t tell you all of this. After all, you might worry about consuming their product. Webmed: ”Phosphate Salts-Uses, Side Effects, and More.”

For another perspective on monoglycerides and diglycerides we look at a site called nutritionwithjudy.com. She claims that these are both “heavily processed, chemically-laced seed oil byproducts that contain trans fats.” Since these two items are listed as emulsifiers and not fats, they can “be used in any food without any limitations.”

The other notable thing about trans fats is that they “promote inflammation throughout the body and have been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.” This site has a lot more to say about Apeel.

One last thing from her. Citric acid is usually thought of as a type of vitamin C. However, it is cheaper to manufacture it by “fermenting and feeding sugars to mold, specifically the black mold strain, Aspergillus niger.” Most synthetic products relating to our food chain can create health problems. Some hazards are a “compromised immune system and gastrointestinal systems.”

She quotes one study as saying that “manufactured citric acid may contribute to the inflammation seen in asthma, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, autistic spectrum disorder, and fibromyalgia.”

Let’s go back to Dr. Berg. He went back to the patent and looked at the “Other Ingredients” from that perspective. He found soap, ethyl acetate, heptane, palladium, arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury.

Let’s look at some of these. Wikipedia says that ethyl acetate has a “sweet smell and is used in glues, nail polish removers, and the decaffeination of tea and coffee. It is used as a solvent. Then we have heptane. According to Wikipedia, it’s been “used as a test fuel component in anti-knock test engines” and is another solvent.

Then we have palladium. This metal is highly resistant to corrosion. (Hmm. We have corrosive lye and a non-corrosive metal. Does this make you wonder why they’re in a substance that can be sprayed on our food?) According to chemistrycool.com, it’s used in automotive catalytic converters. They also say that it “can cause allergic reactions” by coming “into contact with skin or mucous membranes.”

If you remember the movie, “Arsenic and Old Lace,” you will likely recall that the murdering old ladies used arsenic as their modus operandi. Wikipedia claims that it “is a notoriously toxic heavy metal.” The World Health Organization claims that it “can contaminate water, food, and the environment.”

Arsenic was called a “type of carcinogen,” by healthline.com (“Everything You Need to Know About Arsenic Poisoning.” Symptoms of arsenic poisoning may include, “red or swollen skin, skin changes such as new warts or lesions, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rhythm, muscle cramps, tingling of fingers and toes.”

Then we have lead. The Cleveland Clinic says that “Symptoms of lead poisoning include headaches, cramps, and hyperactivity”. Children are most vulnerable because it “can damage” children’s “nervous system, brain, and other organs.” “It can also lead to severe health, learning, and behavioral problems, including brain damage and long-term intellectual deficits.”

The patent then goes on to list cadmium. According to https://www.cancer.gov cadmium “can increase the risk of lung cancer when inhaled or ingested.” (Eating, as in a coating sprayed on our veggies.)

osha.gov mentions that cadmium is used in nuclear reactors, “batteries, alloys, coatings (electroplating).” [Coating produce?] The site goes on to say that “Cadmium and its compounds are highly toxic and exposure to this metal is known to cause cancer and targets the body’s cardiovascular, renal (kidney), gastrointestinal, neurological, reproductive, and respiratory systems.”

Last, but not least in the list of “Other Ingredients,” in the Apeel patent, is mercury. verywellhealth.com mentions that “Mercury is a neurotoxin that can damage nerve tissue in the body and negatively affect nervous system function. It also mentions that there are different types of mercury. All of them can be toxic. Here is a list of symptoms that can occur. Muscle weakness, loss of coordination, loss of (side vision), prickling sensation in hand, feet, or around the mouth, impairment of speech or hearing, difficulty walking. These symptoms come from methylmercury which is the kind people can get from eating contaminated fish or shellfish.

There are other types of mercury and all of them are toxic. The patent did not mention the kind of mercury used in their product. Another item mentioned was polyethylene glycol. That is found in antifreeze.

We might question the use of these highly toxic substances in an “edible” coating on fruits and vegetables. I’ve become very skeptical about the uses of artificial substances in, on, or around our food and calling them “edible.” There was no rationale given for the inclusion of these very toxic metals and other substances.

So, once again, caveat emptor. Buyer beware. Organic produce is very appealing, but even they have an organic Apeel. I don’t appreciate being part of a social experiment. Many such things have backfired on the general public. Some health challenges were not connected to the substance until many years went by. 

Perhaps if enough people became alarmed about the substances used in, on, or around our food, they could rise up and put demands on food manufacturers, for transparency, and honesty in food labeling. We have to ask why so many toxic substances are being used in our food today.

Next time we’ll explore red-light therapy. It may help maintain our health against the onslaughts.

Learn to turn off media persuasions for snacky-wackies. They are meant to be addictive at best.

It takes work to be healthy, my friends. 

Nancy L. Pidutti, PhD, NHH, RN, Chaplain