(cache)Regulatory

Apeel

Technology

Apeel is a thin, invisible, plant-based, edible protection for fruits and vegetables. This tasteless “peel” slows down moisture loss and oxidation and maintains freshness and quality while increasing shelf life and reducing food waste across the supply chain. In addition to reducing food waste, Apeel also reduces reliance on refrigeration and for certain fresh produce, eliminates the need for plastic packaging.

Apeel is composed of plant-derived lipids that are consumed regularly in a variety of foods. More specifically, it is made entirely of mono- and diglycerides, also known by the food additive identifier INS 471 or E 471.

See Apeel in action

See more on Apeel's Sustainability Impact

Our sustainability impact achieved in 2021

liters of water conserved, enough to fill 610 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

metric tons CO₂-eq of greenhouse gas emissions avoided, the equivalent of planting 120,000 trees.

pieces of fruit prevented from going to waste at grocery stores.

Global Regulatory Status & Proven Value

The ingredients in Apeel are approved for use on fresh produce in 65 countries around the world. The Codex Alimentarius—food standards maintained by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization—have also recognized and approved the ingredients in Apeel for the treatment of fruits and vegetables due to their widely recognized safety and technological benefits.

With the exception of the European Union (and countries that follow European Union food standards) Apeel is approved for application to ALL fruits and vegetables without restriction. However, today Apeel only has limited regulatory approval in the European Union despite the product being safe, validated for efficacy by The Fraunhofer Society, and commercially proven.

Learn more about Fraunhofer's findings

See the links below to hear from suppliers and retailers that have seen the benefits of Apeel first-hand

Apeel x EDEKA

Retail Perspective

Apeel x Cata Fresh

Supplier Perspective, Citrus

Apeel x Nature's Pride

Supplier Perspective, Avocados

Apeel x Westmoreland

Supplier Perspective, Cucumbers

Regulatory

Status

in

the

European

Union

Current Regulatory Status

In May 2019, Apeel / E 471 was granted regulatory approval by the European Commission for the use of E 471 for surface treatment of certain fruits where the peel is not edible (i.e., not typically consumed): citrus fruit, melons, pineapples, bananas, papayas, mangoes, avocados and pomegranates².

Following regulatory approval, Apeel was launched in the European market. Due to the many commercial benefits, suppliers and retailers are now requesting access to use Apeel on additional produce categories.

Limited Approval Limits Supply Chain Benefits

The current European Union authorization limits the ability for Apeel / E 471 to be leveraged across fresh fruit and vegetable supply chains that would benefit most from Apeel’s technology, specifically, those produce categories with delicate, edible peels where perishability is a significant challenge.
For this reason, Apeel filed a new application in November 2020 requesting the use of Apeel for surface treatment of additional fruits and vegetables, including some where the peel is edible (i.e., is typically consumed).
Current status: The ingredient family (E 471) is approved in over 70 food categories in the European Union, ranging from infant formula to fresh pasta, jams and jellies, and many others. As of now, the European Commission has yet to decide whether to grant Apeel an extended approval. Unrelated to its use on fresh fruits and vegetables, ingredient specifications for E 471 are under review. Additionally, inconsistencies in post-harvest treatment labeling laws have also been cited as a blocker.

Help

expand

our

impact

Apeel is currently working with stakeholders across the value chain to expand approval for Apeel in the European Union. If you would like to join us, please reach out by emailing regulatory@apeel.com.

1. The Fraunhofer Society is a German research organization with 76 institutes spread throughout Germany, each focusing on different fields of applied science.

2. European Union E 471 Authorization, 2019