 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2012  |
| Founder | James Rogers |
| Headquarters | Goleta, California |
| Website | apeel.com |
Apeel Sciences is an American food technology company based in Goleta, California. Its edible coating product Apeel or Edipeel [1] can make avocados, citrus and other types of fruit last twice as long as usual by using a tasteless edible coating, and reduces food loss and waste as well as reliance on single-use plastic packaging. [2] [3]
The ingredients in Apeel’s Edipeel formulation are mono- and diglycerides.
The edible coating’s ingredients are inspired by and contain the same ingredients found in the cuticles (peel) of plants, [4] and the formulations are alternatives to fruit waxing and the use of single-use plastics.
Mono- and diglycerides are naturally present in food fats, and have also been used as food additives in many common foods worldwide since the 1930s. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) report on the toxicological evaluation of mono- and diglycerides states that, “Mono- and diglycerides are consumed every day in any normal mixed diet and they are also formed from triglycerides during the digestion and absorption of every meal containing fat. No harmful effects have been specifically associated with mono- and diglycerides.”
There are publicly available documents, like a GRAS submission and patents, that Apeel submitted early in their R&D stages that describe the use of solvents. The key solvents used in the extraction and purification process of the product’s ingredients, such as mono- and diglycerides, include:
1. Ethyl Acetate – A solvent commonly used in food processing but also associated with potential central nervous system effects if present in high quantities.
2. Heptane – Another solvent that can affect the central nervous system, potentially causing headaches, nausea, and dizziness in cases of overexposure.
3. Palladium – Used as a catalyst in the manufacturing process, though traces of it can sometimes remain in products, raising concerns about contamination.
Apeel has since adopted a more industry standard way of manufacturing mono- and diglycerides, [5] [6] which does not rely on solvents.
The coating's formulation can be modified for strawberries, mangoes, apples, bananas, kumquats, citrus, and asparagus. [3] [7] Edipeel is also allowed for use on all fruits and vegetables in Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, and South Africa, without restriction. Additionally, Edipeel is allowed for use on the following fruits in the European Union, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom: avocados, citrus fruit, mangoes, papayas, melons, bananas, pineapples, and pomegranates. [8]
Apeel was founded in 2012 by James Rogers, [3] after receiving a $100,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help reduce post-harvest food waste in developing countries that lacked refrigeration infrastructure. [9] [10] [11]
It also received $985,161 from the Gates Foundation on August 2015 [12]
After the initial grants, backing has been provided by venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz, and ATEL Capital Group. [13] Apeel has raised $110 million in financing to date. [14]
In June 2018, Apeel was named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer. [15] In August 2018, Apeel announced the appointment of former Whole Foods Market co-CEO Walter Robb to its board of directors. [16]