My friend refers to these as glimmer moments … (a little light shines through)
Organipeel was Apeel’s version intended for organic produce.
However, it seems thanks to RFK, it has been discontinued, and the company is now working on new formulations for organic growers. So stay tuned to ensure they don’t try to pull something off that’s just as bad… I suspect it may have happend with the help of some attention from some people in Hollywood.
If you see anything further on this topic drop it in the comments.
Apeel (Edipeel): now limited to a handful of produce items and mostly at chains that haven’t formalized a ban; even there, availability varies week-to-week because it’s supplier-driven.
If you shop at retailers with “no-Apeel” policies (Costco, Publix, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, Natural Grocers, etc.), you shouldn’t see it. For Target, Walmart, Albertsons, Kroger banners, or independent produce stands, the only sure way is to check the sticker/PLU or ask the produce manager.
I believe Apeel was recently approved as a “fungicide” for organic produce. The manufacturer was unsuccessful at obtaining approval for Apeel as a “coating” on organic produce, so they changed tactics. When I have time, I will search Jon Fleewood’s substack account for a credible reference regarding the recent approval and post additional detail. I also plan to follow-up with knowledgeable people at www.organiceye.org.
Perhaps others have more insight into this issue. I am thoroughly disgusted that the FDA gave approval to spray RNA products on our crops, too. Thanks for shining a light on the issues surrounding Apeel.
I rotated at the NIH (NIAID specifically) in med school, and many doctors there were also co-employed by the other alphabet agencies (FDA, CDC etc.) at the same time. The attending I worked the most with was trying to extricate himself from his FDA job and stated “I just want to get out of there before I go to jail.” This was in 2006, and I imagine things have only gotten worse since. These are the folks approving our medications. No wonder our health stats are in the toilet.
It would be great to see these revolving doors getting closed as Dr. Baker pointed out in a webinar around this topic, the example of Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who shifted from leading the FDA to sitting on Pfizer’s board while simultaneously appearing as a trusted media figure.
I was unable to locate the original article where I read about approval for Apeel as a fungicide for organic produce. Attempted to locate definitive information on EPA’s web site – their search engine is not very friendly (ugh). My information is out-of-date if RFK Jr garnered an agreement to discontinue the use of Apeel/Organipeel. In the absence of EPA references, I offer the following AI-generated description from a search on Brave:
“Apeel’s Organipeel product was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a fungicide for post-harvest use on produce, including organic produce. This approval was based on its active ingredient, citric acid, which makes up 0.66% of the formulation and is permitted under organic regulations. The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) granted Organipeel its listing based on this fungicide classification, not as a coating for further processing. This classification allowed the product to bypass stricter regulations that prohibit certain ingredients, like mono- and diglycerides, when used as coatings on organic produce. However, this regulatory distinction has been a source of significant controversy and criticism.”
@loggette - A bit of looking up after reading your links revealed — “Both Apeel products are “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS) by the FDA for use on produce”.
GRAS should be GRANTP - Generally Recognized as not test properly. Another madness that has allowed so much to slide into the food chain.
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