Get the Facts on Apeel, the Protective Coating Applied To Produce

If you've never heard of Apeel, you're not alone. That's the name of the company that makes Apeel Edipeel, a product designed to form a protective barrier on fruits and vegetables sold in stores, extending the life of the produce while also being safe to for people to eat.

Not everyone is a fan of the idea of consuming foods that have been treated with a preservative, and some people have even gone as far as to boycott the companies that sell Apeel-coated produce.

The company claims that it can help offset food waste and help end food insecurity by preserving produce for longer, allowing it to be shipped around the world without fear that the fruits and veggies would rot before they made it to their destination.

What is Apeel made out of? And can produce items treated with it still be considered organic? Keep reading to find out.

According to the Apeel Sciences FAQ section, Apeel is made using all plant-based ingredients. These are non-GMO and allergen-free. Additionally, the company says that it sources all of the items it uses in the Edipeel solution ethically.

The ingredients include mono- and diglycerides, which the company says are already found naturally in the contents of plants, including their skin, pulp, and seeds.

The company goes on to state that the ingredients are also the same as those in other foods already being sold in stores, including pasta, chocolate, salad dressing, and baby formula.

Further, the Apeel website says that not much of the product is needed to form a proper coating on the fruits and veggies it is used on. For example, the website claims that an avocado can be protected with Edipeel using an amount equivalent to a tenth of the weight of a small raisin.

Unlike the waxes and coatings currently added to produce in stores around the world, Apeel states that the Edipeel coating can actually protect the produce from pests and decomposition, keeping fruits and veggies fresher for days longer.

According to the company, it is working with the USDA to come up with a new formulation of the product that meets the standards required to be USDA Organic Certified or OMRI Listed.

It sounds like Apeel previously had a formula called Organipeel that was considered organic; however, it was discontinued when the company began working on new formulations that would be more effective and offer more flexibility for Apeel's customers.

The mastermind behind Microsoft's technologies may not be the first person who comes to mind when you think about Apeel, but apparently, Bill Gates helped fund the company through the Gates Foundation.

The Gates Foundation provided the California-based company with $985,161 in August 2015, helping Apeel get the money it needed to fulfill its mission of coming up with a way to extend the shelf-life of produce without refrigeration.