"Peaceful fruit" may not be safe

On the evening of the 24th, Ms. Ma received a “Peaceful Fruit” from a friend on Christmas Eve. At home, I discovered that there was a layer of waxy material on the shiny surface of apple red. I washed it with water several times without washing it off. I gently scratched it with a knife, but there was a thin layer of wax. In this regard, Ms. Ma worried: “Is the bright-colored and waxed apple eaten harmful to the body?”

Zhang Zesheng, vice president of the School of Food Engineering and Biotechnology at Tianjin University of Science and Technology, said that the fruit itself will have some waxy things. Applying edible wax on the surface of apples is a normal method of preservation. Most of imported fruits and high-grade fruits are waxed. deal with. However, it is not ruled out that in order to reduce costs, individual traders use industrial waxes instead of edible waxes to wax fruits. Citizens cannot identify food waxes or industrial waxes by visual inspection, nail scraping, or ignition. General agricultural products do not advocate using pigments to cover their own color, but it is not ruled out that some of the fruits themselves are particularly bright.

It is understood that there are three main types of peel wax used in the market: fruit wax, edible fruit wax and industrial wax. The former two can be eaten while the latter is harmful to the human body.

An owner of a fruit shop at Balishizhuang Farmer’s Market revealed that “waxing can make fruits look brighter, and apples will dry or rot after a long time, but after waxing, they can not only extend the freshness, but also keep apples for a long time. It can still be bright."

Sun Shuxia, president of the China Health Care Association’s food nutrition and safety professional committee, recommends that consumers should peel or wash with salt water before entering the entrance.

It is reported that the so-called "Peaceful Fruit" is actually Apple, and adopting Ping's homonym means peace. In recent years, eating "Peaceful Fruit" on "Silent Night" has become a way for young people to send blessings.