Company calls for transparency and accuracy in food safety debate
Apeel Sciences issued a public statement in response to a new bill calling for the labelling of fruits and vegetables that have been coated with shelf-life extending products.
Last month, US congressman Marlin Stutzman introduced the Apeel Reveal Act, which aims to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require labelling for fruits and vegetables that have certain product coatings applied to extend their shelf life. It specifies that these coatings must be disclosed on the labelling, particularly mentioning coatings from Apeel Sciences.
In response, Apeel affirmed its longstanding commitment to transparency in food labelling and addressing widespread misinformation surrounding its products and operations.
“Apeel Sciences welcomes the opportunity to work with Congressman Marlin Stutzman on the important issue of food labelling to advance badly needed transparency in the US food system,” the statement reads. “We agree with Rep. Stutzman: Every consumer deserves to know where they can find safer, higher-quality, fresher produce in their grocery stores. And this has been a longstanding company belief since our founding in 2012.
“For decades, anonymous chemical substances have been used on fresh produce in the US without transparency or clear consumer-facing information. Typical methods of protecting fresh produce after harvest often rely on single-use plastics, designer pesticides, synthetic waxes and intensive refrigeration – each with significant downsides.
Apeel said its plant-based, edible coatings are among the safest and most rigorously tested on the market, noting that the ingredients – plant-based simple fats called mono- and diglycerides, baking soda and citric acid – are common, naturally occurring food ingredients found in the edible peels, pulp, and seeds of fruits and vegetables that also have a long history of safe use in everyday foods such as baby formula, dairy products, baked goods, meats, and nut and seed butters.
“Apeel Sciences has consistently exemplified and advocated for greater transparency in the US food system,” the statement continues. “We’ve urged the industry to exceed existing legal requirements and share more information with consumers. That’s why produce protected with our products features the Apeel logo or sticker and why we remain the only post-harvest food coating brand most consumers can name.”
The company said elected leaders and media organisations have a responsibility to present truthful facts about food and agriculture, which is essential for earning and maintaining consumer trust in the food system.
It pointed out that its products fully comply with existing labelling laws established by federal agencies and with retail disclosure requirements for both packaged and loose produce.
Moreover, it notes that the ingredients used in its products have long been publicly listed on the company website. Regarding its organic coating, Organipeel, Apeel said that although it had been approved for use in 2017, the product has not been commercially available or used for nearly two years, as the company is developing new products better suited to today’s needs of the organic industry.
Apeel also made clear that Bill Gates is not now, nor has he ever been, a shareholder in the company, nor been an owner, advisor or held any position within the company.
Apeel’s statement follows a high-profile correction issued by actress Michelle Pfeiffer to a social media post linking billionaire Gates to Apeel and sharing a video claiming that organic produce is now longer safe after “Bill Gates’ Apeel was approved for USDA-certified organic”.
Apeel executives praised Pfeiffer’s willingness to correct the record and underscored the company’s concerns about an ongoing disinformation campaign against it that began in 2023.
“The campaign has featured coordinated online falsehoods targeting Apeel’s leadership, products, and retail partners, and incited harassment and threats directed towards partners and employees,” the company said.
Last week, Apeel Sciences submitted a formal request to meet with Rep. Stutzman to discuss the new bill and reiterate its willingness to collaborate on solutions that benefit consumers and producers alike.
