Apeel Sciences issued a public statement in response to H.R. 4737, the Apeel Reveal Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), affirming the company's commitment to transparency in food labeling and addressing misinformation surrounding its products and operations.
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The statement from Apeel Sciences is:
Apeel Sciences welcomes the opportunity to work with Congressman Marlin Stutzman on the issue of food labeling to advance transparency in the U.S. food system. We agree with Rep. Stutzman: Every consumer deserves to know where they can find safer, higher-quality, fresher produce in their grocery stores.
Our plant-based, edible coatings help keep produce naturally fresh for longer, reduce food waste, and lower grocery costs for American families. Our products are among the safest and most rigorously tested on the market. The ingredients—plant-based simple fats called mono- and diglycerides, baking soda and citric acid—are common, naturally occurring food ingredients found in the edible peels, pulp, and seeds of fruits and vegetables that also have a long history of safe use in everyday foods such as baby formula, dairy products, baked goods, meats, and nut and seed butters.
Apeel Sciences has consistently exemplified and advocated for greater transparency in the U.S. food system. We've urged the industry to exceed existing legal requirements and share more information with consumers. That's why produce protected with our products features the Apeel logo or sticker and why we remain the only post-harvest food coating brand most consumers can name.
Also:
- Our products fully comply with existing labeling laws established by federal agencies and with retail disclosure requirements for both packaged and loose produce.
- The ingredients used in our products have long been publicly listed on our website.
- While first approved for use in 2017, our product for organic produce, Organipeel, has not been commercially available or used for nearly two years, as we are developing new products better suited to today's needs of the organic industry.
- Bill Gates is not now, nor has he ever been, a shareholder in Apeel Sciences. He has never been an owner, advisor, or held any position within the company.
Apeel's statement follows a correction by actress Michelle Pfeiffer, who recently walked back a social media post that spread false claims about the company.
Apeel Sciences executives praised Pfeiffer's willingness to correct the record and underscored the company's concerns about an ongoing disinformation campaign against it that began in 2023. The campaign has featured coordinated online falsehoods targeting Apeel's leadership, products, and retail partners, and incited harassment and threats directed towards partners and employees. The disinformation campaign was addressed in an open letter from Apeel Sciences executives in 2024.
Last week, the company submitted a formal request to meet with Rep. Stutzman to discuss H.R. 4737 and reiterate its willingness to collaborate on solutions that benefit consumers and producers alike.
For more information:
Apeel Sciences
[email protected]
www.apeel.com