dave@utcsrgv.UUCP (Dave Sherman) (11/18/83)
A few weeks back I posted a request for information about whether the
wax which makes red apples so shiny could be a problem for my wife, who
is pregnant. I got replies from two people, and here they are. Thanks both.
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From utzoo!linus!wivax!decvax!microsof!fluke!ron Mon Oct 31 04:15:51 1983
I've been trying to get a definitive answer to the question
of whether or not apple wax is harmful for 4 years now. A
fellow grad student who was in organic chemistry warned that
the wax can serve as a vehicle for residual pesticides. (not
good for pregnant women or other living things). I read
somewhere once (I think it was the weekly column on food
and nutrition by Dr. Jean Meyer) that the wax they use is
"an edible grade of carnuba wax." (Apparently carnuba wax
comes from some subtropical plant and has (US)FDA approval
for use in foodstuffs. Big deal. I'd just as soon not eat
wax -there is no RDA for it. And some people have trouble
digesting wax, regardless of whether or not it has residual
pesticides. (The corporate line is that all apples are
washed as they come in from the orchard, and they must be
(re)waxed to replace the natural coating that just got
washed off, so they will stay moist and crisp in the
supermarket, or in cold storage for the next 8 months.)
I continue to eat apples, but keep them in the fridge (this
seems to make the wax more brittle). I use a very sharp
knife to scrape as much wax off an apple as possible, and then
wash it in hot soapy water. It takes an annoying 5 minutes
to scrape one good enough to eat, but looking at all the
crudy wax that accumulates on the knofe edge makes it
worth it. In fact, if you scrape off a lot of wax, you'll
notice that it's often a muddy brown. It appears that
it also serves as a vehicle for whatever dirt the fruit has
come in contact with since it was originally rinsed at the
packer's plant.
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From utzoo!linus!wivax!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhuxi!mhuxl!houxm!houxz!llf Mon Oct 31 04:15:26 1983
I don't know about the apples in the supermarket, but all apples have some sort
of a natural wax on them. If you took an "organically" grown apple and washed
it with, say, a scouring pad and a little soap, you would end up with a very
shiny apple. If you don't find a satisfactory solution to your problem, you
could always start visiting to local farmer's market and pick up unshiny ones.
Congratulations and good luck. llf
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From allegra!fluke!ron Tue Nov 1 21:44:06 1983
The "there's no RDA for it" comment was a smart-alec remark to the
effect that wax doesn't appear to be an essential nutrient. There
thus is no Recommended Daily Allowance for it, (as there is for, say
calcium or riboflavin or other original components of real food).\
One other thing that I'm not sure was mentioned in the previous note:
I've found it's much easier to scrape off wax if the apple is very cold,
i.e. just taken from the fridge. Each scrape seems to yield a thicker
wad of the stuff, as opposed to when the apple is at room temperature
and the wax seems to smear around more.
One wonders if some solvent would quickly strip off all the wax (much like
happens with heavy duty floor cleaners). Alas, the solvent would likely
saturate the fruit. Guess wax is the lesser of the 2 evils.
-Ron
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Dave Sherman
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{allegra,cornell,decvax,ihnp4,linus,utzoo}!utcsrgv!dave