Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) introduced a bill requiring the creation of a food label for fruits and vegetables treated with a product created through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Breitbart News learned exclusively.
The Apeel Reveal Act mandates a new label for food coated with a product designed by Apeel Sciences, a company that developed, through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a coating for fruits and vegetables to extend the products’ shelf life.
The coatings, known as Edipeel for conventional produce and Organipeel for organic produce, use mono- and diacly-glycerides derived from a seed oil produced from grapeseed to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. These chemicals, while derived from plants, involve solvents, including ethyl acetate and hexane, to extract the active ingredients and are common in highly processed foods.
While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deemed Apeel’s products “Generally Recognized as Safe” in 2016, the company is not required to disclose their proprietary mix of ingredients used to create the product.
Stutzman believes that while companies should be free to innovate, consumers should be able to make informed decisions about their food.
“Applying chemical concoctions to fruits and vegetables without telling American consumers is unacceptable,” Stutzman told Breitbart News. “My bill will ensure all the information needed to make an informed decision about the food we eat is available. Giving Americans full transparency of what is in and on their food is an essential step to Making America Healthy Again.”
Stutzman’s bill, within one year of enactment, would require produce labels to disclose the application of Apeel on the product. The bill also directs the Secretary of Health and Human services to issue guidance for these labeling requirements.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., credited with leading the Make America Healthy Again movement that has been incorporated into President Donald Trump’s America First agenda, has encouraged companies to adopt healthier practices. He recently called on the food industry to follow PepsiCo’s example after the company declared that it will drop artificial colors and flavors from Lay’s and Tostitos and replace seed oils with healthier alternatives by the end of the year.
Currently, produce suppliers are not required to disclose the use of Apeel on their products. Grocery stores such as Whole Foods, Target, and Kroger are known to carry products treated with Apeel; many other mainstream grocery stores do not have information publicly available on which of their products use Apeel.
If Stutzman’s bill passes, consumers will have the information they need to make informed choices as to whether or not they want to purchase Apeel-coated produce.
Read Rep. Marlin Stutzman’s Apeel Reveal Act:
Bradley Jaye is Deputy Political Editor for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter and Instagram @BradleyAJaye.
