I was so angry that I wanted to buy an imported apple to give away on Christmas Eve, and found that there was a thick layer of wax on the surface!!!!
Isn't that spending money to suffer? Who dares to eat a waxed apple!
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > the long history of waxing</h1>
When did humans start waxing fruits?
That goes back a long, long time.
In 1922, Ernest Brogden, the founder of Brogdecks, was the first to patent commercial fruit waxing in the United States. Since then, the principle of commercial fruit waxing has been used to this day.
Waxing is an important fruit preservation technique that has not appeared in recent years.
Waxing technology is still used at home and abroad to this day.
Waxing the fruit not only makes the surface of the fruit shiny, but also blocks the pores on the surface of the fruit, reduces the loss of water and nutrient consumption, and keeps the fruit fresh.
In addition, waxing can also effectively control the invasion of microorganisms, reduce decay, and thus prolong the storage period of fruits.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > can the waxed fruit still be eaten?</h1>
There are two main types of wax on the surface of general fruits:
One is a layer of fruit wax that will come with the surface of the fruit itself, such as apples, pears and grapes.
This wax is a natural protective layer of the fruit, safe and non-toxic, and can be eaten with confidence.
The other is artificially added edible wax, which is generally made of natural animal and plant raw materials, such as carnauba wax, shellac and so on.
The national standard stipulates that edible wax is a legal food additive that can be used to treat the surface of the fruit, and adding it according to the regulations will not affect health.
But there is also a kind of unscrupulous merchants who treat fruits with cheap industrial wax in order to reduce costs.
Harmful substances such as heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contained in industrial waxes may penetrate into the pulp through the peel and cause harm to the human body.
However, this situation has been relatively rare in recent years.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > how to tell if the wax is safe?</h1>
In fact, it is difficult to distinguish between edible wax and industrial wax by the naked eye alone, but you can refer to the following two points:
1. When purchasing fruit, wipe the surface of the fruit with a wet paper towel.
Edible wax is colorless, and if a faint red color is left on the paper towel, it is likely to be an industrial wax.
2, there is another rule: generally seasonal fruits or local fruits, almost no waxing.
Imported fruits or out-of-season fruits often need to be more resistant to storage, so they will basically use edible wax to preserve freshness.
Of course, the legal use of edible wax has no impact on the health of our human body, and such fruits can be eaten directly after washing.
If you really mind, you can peel it and eat it.
Or conditionally, find a healthy orchard to pick yourself :)
Resources:
1. Fruit waxing 900 years/hull, https://www.guokr.com/article/442169/.
2. Correct understanding of fruit waxing / Agricultural Products Market Weekly / Institute of Agricultural Product Processing, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural Products Processing Quality and Safety Risk Assessment Laboratory of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (Beijing).