These coatings are also approved for use as food additives for candy and pastries. They come from natural sources including carnauba wax from the leaves of a Brazilian palm, candelilla wax derived from reed−like desert plants and less than two percent from food−grade shellac, which comes from a secretion of the lac bug found in India and Pakistan. Waxes are all made from natural and food-grade ingredients and are certified by the Food and Drug Administration to be safe to eat. What is the standard for edible wax coatings on apples? The natural wax produced by apples, coupled with the additional food-grade coating added after the washing process, helps to protect the fruit from microorganisms that otherwise could enter the apple. One pound of wax may cover as many as 160,000 pieces of fruit two drops is the most that covers each apple. This cleaning process removes the fruit´s original wax coating, so to protect the fruit many apple packers will re−apply a food-grade wax or edible coating. To protect themselves against shriveling and nutrient loss caused by loss of moisture, apples secrete their own natural wax covering.Īfter harvest, apples are washed and brushed to remove leaves and field dirt before they are packed in cartons for shipping to your local market. Since they are living andbreathing, they constantly lose moisture through respiration and transpiration. Without wax, vegetables and fruits, like apples, would lose their vital crispness and moisture, eventually leaving them soft and dry.įresh fruits and vegetables contain 80 percent to 95 percent water. If you walked out into an orchard, picked an apple from the tree and rubbed that apple on your shirt, you would notice that it shined − you´ve just polished the natural wax that an apple produces to protect its high-water content.
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