Apples are fresh edible agricultural products. After they are ripe and picked, they are placed in the warehouse for a period of time or transported to the wholesale market. If the time is too long, the skin will easily wrinkle. Waxing the skin can prevent water loss and solve the problem of skin problems. The problem of shrinkage extends the storage time of apples. In addition, after waxing, the surface of the apples will be bright and fresh, and the apples will sell well and sell for a higher price.

The wax on the apple peel mainly comes from three sources:

The first is a layer of fruit wax secreted by the apple epidermis itself during its growth. This fruit wax is an ester component that can prevent external microorganisms, pesticides, etc. from invading the fruit pulp and is harmless to the human body.

The second is artificially added edible wax. Commonly used edible waxes include morpholine fatty acid salts (also known as fruit wax), carnauba wax, etc., which serve to preserve quality, freshness, glazing, and prevent water evaporation. effect. According to the "National Food Safety Standard - Standard for the Use of Food Additives" (GB 2760-2014), edible wax is a food additive that can be used for surface treatment of apples and is not harmful to the human body.

The third is artificially added non-edible wax, mainly industrial wax. The composition of industrial wax is relatively complex and may contain heavy metals such as lead and mercury. Excessive intake will cause harm to human health.

If apples are coated with industrial wax, the content of heavy metals such as lead and mercury in the fruit will be revealed. The Ministry of Agriculture's fruit quality and safety sampling and risk assessment results show that the content of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium in apples is extremely low and does not exceed standards; at the same time, none of the more than 100 pesticide residue indicators tested exceeded standards. Therefore, apples are a relatively safe fruit, and the rumor that waxing apples causes cancer is untrue.

Extended information:

If you are worried about health problems, you can peel it and eat it. If you are not willing to peel it, you can choose a reasonable cleaning method. There are generally two cleaning methods. One is to wash with hot water, which can easily remove the preservative from the apple skin. However, pay attention to the water temperature and do not overheat it to affect the taste of the apple.

The other method is to wash with salt. After the apples are soaked in water, put a little salt on the skin, then hold the apple with both hands and rub it gently back and forth, and then rinse it with water. The principle of such cleaning is to take advantage of the small particle state of salt to enhance friction. Moreover, the salt itself also has a disinfecting effect. Of course, you can also use special fruit detergent for cleaning.