This is from a flier found at a store in Berkeley
NO Organic Apples are waxed. NONE. MOST Organic Citrus is waxed or coated; if Citrus were not coated they would dry-out, and/or become moldy, so fast there would be more, and longer, seasonal gaps in supply.
The protective coatings used on Organic Citrus are Organic-approved Food-Grade vegetable, beeswax, &/or carnuba-based wax or resin. (Carnuba is from a tropical beetle's carapace.) These same substances coat many Chocolate and/or Organic items.
There are no studies known to this writer, nor his sources, which have found these substances to be harmful in the amounts eaten. They have all been in the human food supply through evolutionary time.
Our ancestors ate honeycomb and beetles, and some still do. They are often rustic, healthy individuals. Shipping containers for all produce are by law supposed to indicate if the item inside is coated, and by what substance(s), however, Grower/Packer compliance is not 100%, nor is government enforcement, due to insufficient funding, and low will to enforce the people's laws.
ALL apples are self-waxing, some varieties more than others, (Granny Smiths, for instance), and will continue to exude their self-made coating over time, even after washing.
Produce personnel here will strive to indicate on each item's sign when it is coated. Since items as received are not all properly marked with the info we need, all of our knowledge will be, on occasion, speculative. For now, if a citrus item appears to be waxed, it probably is, whether our signage says so or not.
We apologize if Grower/Packer use of Organic-Approved Coatings disturbs you. For now, we take comfort in the fact that these edible coatings help citrus retain their juices, and to exclude molds, (for some, a known allergen/problem). We welcome any data from well-performed studies that can shed further light on this subject.
Mindfully.org note:
- Because no study on a particular chemical or combination of chemicals has not been found is no indication of it being safe. This is a common industry ploy — to say that there is no study that points to a particular chemical being toxic.
- Combinations of chemicals can be many times more toxic than individual chemicals. Industry avoids this issue like the plague. Most environmental organization do as well, or at least cover it poorly.
- While many substances may have been known to prehistoric people, they most likely did not have access to them on a continuous basis and therefore were not exposed to them as we are.
- These prehistoric peoples also were not exposed to the chemical soup that we are exposed to on a 24/7 basis — chlorine, fluoride, motor vehicle exhaust, mercury, lead, plastics, and so on.
- Laws and regulations exist to protect the profit of the corporations that produce the regulated products. And in fact, they were and are written mostly by the regulated industries and merely handed-off to a representative to sponsor. That representative most likely receives a campaign contribution from that industry or corporation that benefits from the way the regulation is written.
- The laws are, for the most part, written using science that is based in the 16th century — Paracelsus also see the ABCs of Toxicology Basic Definitions.
- Individuals must think logically, in that, if something seems like it should be toxic, the chances are quite high that it is toxic. This is very much like another phrase of advice, that if a deal seems true good to be true, then it is too good to be true.
- If the fruit did not produce a chemical naturally, then it does not belong in our mouths or digestive tracks.
- If it should not enter our bodies, then it should not exist. Because if it exists, then it will enter our bodies.
- The world is one and there are no magic walls that keep out such stuff. What goes around comes around.
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