A variety of shelf-life extension techniques are being developed in the last few times. One is a coating made of plants that stops the loss of water as well as oxidation which is the most common cause for food products going to waste. “After the fresh fruit and vegetables have been harvested, it’s protected by a small layer of the natural coating that is present on vegetables and fruits,” says the website of Apeel the company that developed this technique. In addition to preserving moisture and decreasing oxygenation, this layer helps to support the plants natural ability to ward off environmental stresses. The coating is one of the growing range of options provided by Apeel for helping fresh food retailers and suppliers protect their produce, provide the best possible experience when they purchase their produce and eventually sell more from what they cultivate and procure.

Name confusion

In the last nine months, Apeel has been fighting misinformation through social media in relation to the security of the products they sell. “It began in the early spring this year, after Apeel’s coating became confused with an unrelated cleaning product known as Apeel and is available across the UK,” says Lauren Sweeney who is the spokesperson for Apeel. Posts on social media were distorted the security of Apeel’s coating called Edipeel because they were comparing it to another cleaning product unrelated to it which has a similar name to Apeel. Social media posts with hazard warnings were published, which stated that the coating of Apeel could cause severe eye injury and could trigger an allergic reaction to skin.

Although Apeel Sciences representatives emphasized their coating was not connected to the cleaner and it’s safe for consumption but the damage has already been caused. “The name mismatch attracted worldwide interest and, while it soon was able to be resolved in many parts around the world, negative sentiment persists throughout the United States,” commented Sweeney.

False statements

“Since since then, more fraudulent claims have been made regarding our manufacturing process, and the ingredients we use and the way in which postharvest products are described in the case of produce,” shared Sweeney. “This false information has led consumers to call their suppliers as well as retailers to ask whether they are using Apeel We are trying to assist them in helping to answer these questions. We are fortunate that the majority of our customers know the quality of our products, and they continue to stand by our company. The disruption, however, is unneeded stress for businesses.”

“The falsehoods being circulated on social media was verified and debunked by more than 50 news agencies, including USA Today, Snopes, Reuters, and The Associated Press,” Sweeney said. All of them have provided the information and the details of the issue. Additionally, the business has been working with various third-party companies that can assist in reaching customers with greater precision. In parallel, the company has concentrated on increasing transparency as well as a clearer description of “what it means” on its site. “We do every effort to ensure that our commitment to create safe, nutritious and natural-based products is recognized as well as to safeguard integrity for our suppliers with respect to the fresh food supply chain,” Sweeney finished.

For further information, visit:

Lauren Sweeney

Vice President of Marketing

Apeel

Tel: (+1) 877-926-5184

Lauren.sweeney@apeelsciences.com

www.apeel.com/peeld-back