A Northwestern farmer is going viral on TikTok after revealing why store-bought apples often appear to be waxy.
Kait Thornton (@apple.girl.kait), a Washington-based apple farmer, said that it shouldn’t cause alarm that apples have a thin wax coating. To demonstrate why, she put two apples on display: one fresh off of her tree and one that had recently been cleaned and processed.
In the end, Thornton said, both are safe to eat. But amid ongoing concerns over whether apple wax is harmful to ingest, Thornton said she wished to dispel rumors that the fruit somehow isn’t good for you.
“There’s so much fear-mongering around food,” she said. “I don’t want you guys to be scared of what you’re putting in your body.” As of Friday, Thornton’s video explaining why both apples are safe had amassed more than 4.1 million views.
The short answer is yes.
But according to Thornton, apples plucked fresh from a tree do as well. The farmer showed viewers a recently cleaned and processed apple, versus one straight from her tree.
Indeed, the apple that had undergone a cleaning looked waxy.
“If I scrape the skin, you’ll see that a bunch of wax comes off,” Thornton said of the processed fruit.
“This may shock you guys that there is wax on store-bought apples,” she added. But it shouldn’t.
To demonstrate why, Thornton removed the “dusty looking stuff” from the second apple, which hadn’t yet been cleaned. Once she polished that off, it looked similar to the processed apple.
“If I scrape the skin off of this one—that’s straight off the tree—you’ll see there’s wax on it as well,” Thornton said.
Apples, Thornton said, produced a natural wax that helps with water retention.
“It’s super important for the overall health,” Thornton said.
She explained that, while at the processing plant, some of the fruit’s natural wax gets stripped off. It is then replaced with a natural food-grade wax, such as beeswax or shellac. But this shouldn’t scare apple eaters. Thornton said that the natural wax used on a processed apple is similar to the one that the fruit will produce on its own.
“No, it’s not just to ‘make them look pretty,’” she added in her TikTok video’s caption. “Although they do! A huge amount of food waste is prevented by applying a natural wax to fruits and vegetables after they’ve been scrubbed clean.”
As Thornton explained, the wax coating prevents moisture loss. But there are other benefits to the wax put on apples, including that it protects the fruits from microorganisms and bruising while they travel.
According to USApple Association, the fruits secrete a wax coating to protect against “shriveling and nutrient loss caused by loss of moisture.”
Once apples are processed and that coating is cleaned off, apple pickers will re-apply a food-grade wax.
“One pound of wax may cover as many as 160,000 pieces of fruit,” the website said. “Two drops is the most that covers each apple.”
The wax shouldn’t be cause for alarm. There’s no research to conclude that it is dangerous, while food scientists and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) both say that the addition of wax is perfectly safe.
In the comments section of Thornton’s video, many viewers said they were unaware that store-bought apples got a new layer of wax applied.
“Apples have… skincare?” one user quipped.
“So apples produce that wax partly to look pretty for us?” another added. “I feel so honored.”
“I’m almost 65 years old and did not know that apples naturally have a wax on them,” a third user shared. “Thank you for the explanation!”
Others expressed joy that the farmer addressed concerns that the wax on store-bought fruits needs to be removed (it doesn’t).
“We need more farmers showing/sharing this sort of information,” one viewer wrote. “Education/training is key to everything we do no matter what industry we’re in.”
“And then there are people out here ‘dewaxing’ all their fruits and veggies,” another said, clearly frustrated.
“I need to show this to my dad lol,” a third user added. “He’s going through a phase where he thinks all store produce is poison and GMO.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Thornton via TikTok comment.
@apple.girl.kait No, it’s not just to “make them look pretty.” Although they do! A huge amount of food waste is prevented by applying a natural wax to fruits and vegetables after they’ve been scrubbed clean! ???? You can remove any wax by running your produce under warm water (don’t boil it, that blanches it), and drying off with a towel/paper towel! Here’s what a heavy majority of the waxes used are: 1️⃣ Carnauba Wax - Derived from the leaves of the carnauba palm tree. - Commonly used for its high gloss and durability. 2️⃣ Beeswax - Natural wax produced by honeybees. - Provides a subtle shine and protective coating. 3️⃣ Shellac - Derived from the resin secreted by the lac insect. - Often used to create a glossy finish and protective barrier. Ok, now I’ve helped you learn some new stuff… MERRY CHRISTMAS Y’ALL!????????❤️ ⭐️ Be safe, please PLEASE do not drink & drive. . #farm #apples #farmgirl #learnontiktok #farming #fruit #freshproduce #freshfruit #foodfacts #washington #pnw #christmas #merrychristmas #holiday #applegirl ♬ Elf - Main Theme - Geek Music
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