 | |
| 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. 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]
After the initial grant, backing has been provided by venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz, and ATEL Capital Group. [12] Apeel has raised $110 million in financing to date. [13]
In June 2018, Apeel was named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer. [14] In August 2018, Apeel announced the appointment of former Whole Foods Market co-CEO Walter Robb to its board of directors. [15]
In the Spring of 2023, Apeel was targeted with a disinformation campaign online. The disinformation initially conflated Apeel’s primary product with a similarly named household cleaning product and maintained the ingredients were harmful to humans, even though the companies and products are completely unrelated. [16] [17] The disinformation also inaccurately inflates Bill Gates’ involvement with the company. While the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation provided early grant funding, Bill Gates has no involvement with nor any ownership stake in Apeel. [18]
Further false information has appeared in social media posts claiming Apeel’s edible food coatings are “toxic” to humans. However, the US FDA, global regulatory agencies, and other food and nutrition experts have affirmed the safety of Apeel’s products for consumption by consumers. [19]
Additional posts have falsely claimed that heavy metals were being intentionally added to and left in Apeel’s products, incorrectly interpreting the data reported in Apeel’s historical GRAS notices, which are not representative of how Apeel’s ingredients are currently manufactured (i.e., using standard manufacturing processes for mono- and diglycerides). Apeel does not add heavy metals as an ingredient during the manufacturing process. [20] Agricultural feedstocks have naturally occurring levels of heavy metal impurities due to the uptake of these substances from the surrounding soil, air, and water. [21] However, the production and processing of these agricultural feedstocks must remove such impurities to levels below their regulated safe limits.
A tablet is a pharmaceutical oral dosage form or solid unit dosage form. Tablets may be defined as the solid unit dosage form of medication with suitable excipients. It comprises a mixture of active substances and excipients, usually in powder form, that are pressed or compacted into a solid dose. The main advantages of tablets are that they ensure a consistent dose of medicine that is easy to consume.
Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of edible plants. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are mixtures of triglycerides. Soybean oil, grape seed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed oils, or fats from seeds. Olive oil, palm oil, and rice bran oil are examples of fats from other parts of plants. In common usage, vegetable oil may refer exclusively to vegetable fats which are liquid at room temperature. Vegetable oils are usually edible.
Guacamole is an avocado-based dip, spread, or salad first developed in Mexico. In addition to its use in modern Mexican cuisine, it has become part of international cuisine as a dip, condiment, and salad ingredient.
Cottonseed oil is cooking oil from the seeds of cotton plants of various species, mainly Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium herbaceum, that are grown for cotton fiber, animal feed, and oil.
DATEM is an emulsifier primarily used in baking to strengthen the gluten network in dough. It is added to crusty breads, such as rye, to impart a springy, chewy texture. It is also used in the production of biscuits, coffee whiteners, salsa con queso, ice cream, and salad dressings.
Vark is a fine filigree foil sheet of pure metal, typically silver but sometimes gold, used to decorate South Asian sweets and food. The silver and gold are edible, though flavorless. Vark is made by pounding silver into sheets less than one micrometre (μm) thick, typically 0.2–0.8 μm. The silver sheets are typically packed between layers of paper for support; this paper is peeled away before use. It is fragile and breaks into smaller pieces if handled with direct skin contact. Leaf that is 0.2 μm thick tends to stick to skin if handled directly.
Food technology is a branch of food science that addresses the production, preservation, quality control and research and development of food products.
Limonene is a colorless liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic monoterpene, and is the major component in the volatile oil of citrus fruit peels. The (+)-isomer, occurring more commonly in nature as the fragrance of oranges, is a flavoring agent in food manufacturing. It is also used in chemical synthesis as a precursor to carvone and as a renewables-based solvent in cleaning products. The less common (-)-isomer has a piny, turpentine-like odor, and is found in the edible parts of such plants as caraway, dill, and bergamot orange plants.
Sunflower oil is the non-volatile oil pressed from the seeds of the sunflower. Sunflower oil is commonly used in food as a frying oil, and in cosmetic formulations as an emollient.
Milk Duds are a brand of candies made with chocolate, created in 1928 by Hoffman and Company of Chicago and now produced and marketed by The Hershey Company, under license from owners of the brand, Highlander Partners, a Dallas-based global private equity firm.
An alkyd is a polyester resin modified by the addition of fatty acids and other components. Alkyds are derived from polyols and organic acids including dicarboxylic acids or carboxylic acid anhydride and triglyceride oils. The term alkyd is a modification of the original name "alcid", reflecting the fact that they are derived from alcohol and organic acids. The inclusion of a fatty acid confers a tendency to form flexible coatings. Alkyds are used in paints, varnishes and in moulds for casting. They are the dominant resin or binder in most commercial oil-based coatings. Approximately 200,000 tons of alkyd resins are produced each year. The original alkyds were compounds of glycerol and phthalic acid sold under the name Glyptal. These were sold as substitutes for the darker-colored copal resins, thus creating alkyd varnishes that were much paler in colour. From these, the alkyds that are known today were developed.
Food packaging is a packaging system specifically designed for food and represents one of the most important aspects among the processes involved in the food industry, as it provides protection from chemical, biological and physical alterations. The main goal of food packaging is to provide a practical means of protecting and delivering food goods at a reasonable cost while meeting the needs and expectations of both consumers and industries. Additionally, current trends like sustainability, environmental impact reduction, and shelf-life extension have gradually become among the most important aspects in designing a packaging system.
Process manufacturing is a branch of manufacturing that is associated with formulas and manufacturing recipes, and can be contrasted with discrete manufacturing, which is concerned with discrete units, bills of materials and the assembly of components. Process manufacturing is also referred to as a 'process industry' which is defined as an industry, such as the chemical or petrochemical industry, that is concerned with the processing of bulk resources into other products.
Formulation is a term used in various senses in various applications, both the material and the abstract or formal. Its fundamental meaning is the putting together of components in appropriate relationships or structures, according to a formula. Etymologically formula is the diminutive of the Latin forma, meaning shape. In that sense a formulation is created according to the standard for the product.
Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471) refers to a naturally occurring class of food additive composed of diglycerides and monoglycerides used as an emulsifier in foods such as infant formula, fresh pasta, jams and jellies, chocolate, creams, baked goods, and more. It is also used as a fruit coating agent. This mixture is also sometimes referred to as partial glycerides.
Insects as food or edible insects are insect species used for human consumption. Over 2 billion people are estimated to eat insects on a daily basis. Globally, more than 2,000 insect species are considered edible, though far fewer are discussed for industrialized mass production and regionally authorized for use in food. Many insects are highly nutritious, though nutritional content depends on species and other factors such as diet and age. Insects offer a wide variety of flavors and are commonly consumed whole or pulverized for use in dishes and processed food products such as burger patties, pasta, or snacks. Like other foods, there can be risks associated with consuming insects, such as allergic reactions. As commercial interest in insects as food grows, countries are introducing new regulatory frameworks to oversee their production, processing, marketing, and consumption.
Coating is a process that consists of applying a liquid or a powder into the surface of an edible product to convey new properties. Coating designates an operation as much as the result of it: the application of a layer and the layer itself. Coating takes different meanings depending on the industry concerned.
Fruit waxing is the process of covering fruits with artificial waxing material. Natural wax is removed first, usually by washing, followed by a coating of a biological or petroleum derived wax. Potentially allergenic proteins may be combined with shellac.
This is a categorically organized list of foods. Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is produced either by plants, animals, or fungi, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth.