Stickers On Fruit? Waxy Coatings?

[Lisa16]

Hi everybody!

Does anybody know if the adhesive on the stickers they put on fruits and vegetables has gluten in it? It hit me today as I was eating an apple. And if they do have gluten, how can we get rid of it, short of cutting of the fruit around it? How could we even find out?

Then it hit me again-- they often treat fruits with sprays or coatings to make them shiny or even to change the color or perhaps to inhibit sprouting (like potaotes). Does anybody know if we have to worry about these coatings? How could we find this information? What chemicals are involved?

Because I have to avoid processed foods I use a lot of fresh produce. How much do I have to worry? Most of the time I peel things, but not tomatoes or apples, for example. Not cherries. Not baked potatoes. And there are some veggies you can't peel at all.

Does anybody know?

Lisa

[kenlove]

Hi Lisa,

I don't know but I always cut the stickers off. Not so much because of the glue (ten) but becasue I hate the things!<G>

Sicne I grow a lot of fruit I seldom buy apples -- never oranges while there re trees full of them outside etc. I only use stickers on avocados & bananas we sell. No sprays. I dont know what they spray on oranges in calif. but have been trying to find out for the past few weeks since Calif. is send tons at low cost here to compete with local grown produce.

Open Original Shared Link

I think in some cases it would depend on where an item comes from but its also another reason to think about organic produce.

There have bee a lot of scares here recently with rat lung worm disease and leptospirosis so we always wash everything.

Always did, even before we put it in the fridge.

Sure is a good question.. If fruit comes from China I dont want to even touch it much less eat it. True of beans too.

I'll keep trying to find out but if you do, please let me know

Ken

Hi everybody!

Does anybody know if the adhesive on the stickers they put on fruits and vegetables has gluten in it? It hit me today as I was eating an apple. And if they do have gluten, how can we get rid of it, short of cutting of the fruit around it? How could we even find out?

Then it hit me again-- they often treat fruits with sprays or coatings to make them shiny or even to change the color or perhaps to inhibit sprouting (like potaotes). Does anybody know if we have to worry about these coatings? How could we find this information? What chemicals are involved?

Because I have to avoid processed foods I use a lot of fresh produce. How much do I have to worry? Most of the time I peel things, but not tomatoes or apples, for example. Not cherries. Not baked potatoes. And there are some veggies you can't peel at all.

Does anybody know?

Lisa

[dilettantesteph]

I think in some cases it would depend on where an item comes from but its also another reason to think about organic produce.

Do you know that they don't use sprays and coatings with organic produce??

[RiceGuy]

Funny, I was just thinking about this recently, while preparing some apples to make a pie. There were stickers on them, so I was careful to really wash them well - before peeling. I use soap in cases like this, and for oranges, lemons, etc. The lower the chances of any glue getting on the peeled fruit, the better. I don't know what sort of glue they use, and I imagine quite a set of phone calls and emails to find out.

There are waxy coatings on apples and other fruits, but AFAIK, it's usually paraffin, though I've read it can be shellac. Either way, it can prevent you from washing off pesticides, but maybe reduces the grip that the stickers have. This is one reason why there are those fruit/veggie wash products.

If you have organic/locally grown stuff, it might be worth the extra cost.

[Lisa16]

The local markets are doing better with organic produce here and I buy it when they have it, but some things you just can't get at all. But they put the stickers on the organic stuff as well-- especially the organic-- because they want to make sure it rings up at the organic price.

I was looking at the older post by Mike M who tests for gluten with the little home kits. He mentions that the coating on oranges tests positive for gluten! In that case, can you just wash it off? What kind of soap do you use?

In the supermarket they make a real effort to say where the fruit is from (I have never seen hawaii on the sign, come to think of it, which is odd.) We get a lot of fruit from Chile and Mexico. I wouldn't even know where to begin an inquiry. Maybe I will call the produce manager.

[happygirl]

Thoughts:

Organic products can still have "stuff" on them, just not certain stuff on them.

If common allergens, like wheat, were normally on produce, then people with true anaphylactic allergies would likely have discovered this.

Testing strips are not necessarily accurate.

[Lisa16]

I called the produce manager at my supermarket and asked him to look into it. He is calling his suppliers and hopefully I will have some information later today. He was very nice and understood the problem.

In the case of a sticker, I am not so sure people would necessarily have realized what it was. Let's say it only has a little gluten-- then you might get a mild reaction and write it off as something else you ate. Or as one of those mystery glutenings.

And if, say, there is gluten on orange peels, then most people might not realize it either because you never eat the peel. However, if you cut the orange, the knife would go through it and you might have minor contamination. And if you peel it, you definitely get the stuff on your hands.

Let's see what he says!

[kenlove]

GUess you just need t move here and grow your own!

Its illegal for us to send fruit out of he state, with few exceptions like pineapple and papaya. Mostly because of Calif politics.

If you were able to get some of our oranges and avocados, you would never buy the factory produced stuff again!

I would not doubt it about the oranges have gluten in the sprayed on coating.

Ken

The local markets are doing better with organic produce here and I buy it when they have it, but some things you just can't get at all. But they put the stickers on the organic stuff as well-- especially the organic-- because they want to make sure it rings up at the organic price.

I was looking at the older post by Mike M who tests for gluten with the little home kits. He mentions that the coating on oranges tests positive for gluten! In that case, can you just wash it off? What kind of soap do you use?

In the supermarket they make a real effort to say where the fruit is from (I have never seen hawaii on the sign, come to think of it, which is odd.) We get a lot of fruit from Chile and Mexico. I wouldn't even know where to begin an inquiry. Maybe I will call the produce manager.

[Lisa]

If sprayed on contaminates containing gltuen, were in fact true, considering wheat is listed as one of the eight listed allergens, you certainly would have heard about it by now.

No food or produce can claim to be 100% gluten free, unless you grow something in your back yard and watch it for every second.

Take reasonable precaution with everything.

[Lisa16]

So that begs the question-- how do you wash gluten off of something? I have read in this forum that even alcohol only dillutes it. Would a regular soap take care of it? And how would you know which soaps are safe for produce?

[Gemini]

So that begs the question-- how do you wash gluten off of something? I have read in this forum that even alcohol only dillutes it. Would a regular soap take care of it? And how would you know which soaps are safe for produce?

I really think this is a non-issue, Lisa. Like yourself, I eat tons of fruits and veggies everyday....it's the mainstay of my diet. I always wash fruits and veggies off with a spray which dissolves the waxy substance, which is sold in Whole Foods and RINSE it well. I always am amazed that people worry about soap so much.....doesn't everybody rinse really well after using any soap for any purpose? I tear off the sticker and wash all produce well and rinse and forget about it.

As I was diagnosed through blood work and the least little bit of gluten triggers a rise, it would have shown by now with all the produce I eat. I would be in the hospital if this were the case. Sometimes you have to take a deep breath and realize that, as long as you are prepping your food correctly, you can relax and enjoy your food. You could drive yourself crazy worrying about every conceivable way a person could come into contact with gluten. As my doctor stated, and I agree with this, you should use caution and be vigilant but not to the point of paranoia....which can be easy to fall into sometimes!

[RiceGuy]

So that begs the question-- how do you wash gluten off of something? I have read in this forum that even alcohol only dillutes it. Would a regular soap take care of it? And how would you know which soaps are safe for produce?

To remove glue, I always reach for something oily. It works best if it is thick enough not to run off. Coconut oil works great, as do some hand creams. For large amounts, it will probably need to sit for a little while to soften up the glue. The thicker oils are better for that because they don't drip. On flat surfaces, you can use vegetable oil, but on curved things like fruit, it'll tend to run off, especially if it needs to sit for a bit.

This is basically the same reason why pie crust recipes call for so much oil or fat - it defeats the sticky nature of gluten, thereby making the crust more flaky/crumbly. However, I am not in any way suggesting that oil makes gluten safe. Only that oil helps keep it from sticking to things.

Although oil might do a pretty good job on the sticker residue on fruit, I'm not totally sure it gets off the wax, and I'd guess probably not very well if at all. But I've been peeling those fruits, so I haven't been overly concerned about it. Hot water also helps soften the wax, though I'd guess you wouldn't really want to do that with fruit to be eaten cold.

[Lisa16]

The produce manager called back and he had a partial answer. He says that none of the sprays on citrus and apples (if they are sprayed) have gluten. He says they use a food grade parafin. So that part is good news!

So I don't know what happened with Mike M's test. Maybe his oranges came from a different supplier?

As for the stickers, he says those are put on at the packers before the fruit gets shipped to the grocery stores. He has asked them to look into the question, but it might take awhile because they will have to call their suppliers.

If/when they call back, I will let you know what they tell me.

Lisa

[Mike M]

Hi everybody!

Does anybody know if the adhesive on the stickers they put on fruits and vegetables has gluten in it? It hit me today as I was eating an apple. And if they do have gluten, how can we get rid of it, short of cutting of the fruit around it? How could we even find out?

Then it hit me again-- they often treat fruits with sprays or coatings to make them shiny or even to change the color or perhaps to inhibit sprouting (like potaotes). Does anybody know if we have to worry about these coatings? How could we find this information? What chemicals are involved?

Because I have to avoid processed foods I use a lot of fresh produce. How much do I have to worry? Most of the time I peel things, but not tomatoes or apples, for example. Not cherries. Not baked potatoes. And there are some veggies you can't peel at all.

Does anybody know?

Lisa

Hello Lisa, I have wondered, but never tested the sticker. I just peel it off and wash with soap and water really good. I have some pears with a sticker at home. I'll test one and let you know. Mike

[Mike M]

Does anybody know if the adhesive on the stickers they put on fruits and vegetables has gluten in it? It hit me today as I was eating an apple. And if they do have gluten, how can we get rid of it, short of cutting of the fruit around it? How could we even find out?

Does anybody know?

Lisa

OK.....Tested the "Sticker' on a Pear. Completely negative for gluten via testing strips. Nothing showed up, not even a hint on the positive line. Here is what was printed on the sticker: COMICE www.usapears.com #4414

Of course, this is just one sticker on one Pear, it does put my mind at ease. Hope it does for you and others.

P.S. I often wondered about those stickers on fruits and vegetables because one of the last pieces of the puzzle for me, was that I would get sick after licking envelopes, totally nauseated, stomach would grumble, anyway, this was when I realized it was something that was going in my mouth that made me ill. All the best, Mike

[Lisa16]

Thank you Mike!

[Lisa16]

I wrote to the Produce Marketing Association (they determine the PLU codes) and here is the reply I got:

Hi Lisa,

I heard back from the Information Resource Center and they suggested you contact the specific label supplier. I don

[Gemini]

OK.....Tested the "Sticker' on a Pear. Completely negative for gluten via testing strips. Nothing showed up, not even a hint on the positive line. Here is what was printed on the sticker: COMICE www.usapears.com #4414

Of course, this is just one sticker on one Pear, it does put my mind at ease. Hope it does for you and others.

P.S. I often wondered about those stickers on fruits and vegetables because one of the last pieces of the puzzle for me, was that I would get sick after licking envelopes, totally nauseated, stomach would grumble, anyway, this was when I realized it was something that was going in my mouth that made me ill. All the best, Mike

Ummmm, Mike......in all recent publications concerning Celiac, the stamp issue was put to bed. Stamps in the US do not use any wheat in them, they use corn based products. You can lick stamps, unless you are intolerant of corn.

Boy, there is so much fear out there.......

[Mike M]

Ummmm, Mike......in all recent publications concerning Celiac, the stamp issue was put to bed. Stamps in the US do not use any wheat in them, they use corn based products. You can lick stamps, unless you are intolerant of corn.

Boy, there is so much fear out there.......

HHHmmmm, never licked stamps, I can only speak for envelopes. I trust what my body is telling me. All the best, Mike

Envelopes and Glue-

"National Starch & Chemical

Company says the glue they use in envelopes is

made from cornstarch and tapioca. Some groups

were indicating it was ok to lick envelopes now.

However, the Henkle Corporation could not

guarantee their products, the Aaabbitt Company

would not reveal their ingredients, and the Fuller

Company said they use a variety of starches. They

also make glue for envelopes etc. So it seems safest

to not lick envelopes"

[Diagnosed]

I've been cutting those stickers off out of principle, it's a small amount of work for peace of mind.

Given that policy, process, proximity, and ingredients can change at any time, I've written off seeking

any form of abolute assurance on this matter. I've personally never gotten a dosing off a sticker'ed

fruit, but have been dosed off an apple coating from Wegman's. Even Whole Foods puts a sticker on

everything... off to the farmer's market for me.

It's reassuring to see other people are sensitive to micro-doses. I use a banana-baby approach

to my diet, adding one new item about every two weeks, trying each one repeatedly for six weeks

before promoting the item from "experimental" to "good". I recently demoted Cholula hot suace

from "experimental" to "bad" based on a three-trial experiment. The company says that they are

gluten free, the vinegar is a combination of apple vinegar and distilled vinegar... regardless of

the vinegar debate, I'm trusting my gut rather than my pen.

During a prior post (sorry about the excessive "p" usage), there was mention of surface

contact testing strips. Could the original author followup with a reference to topic or external

reference? I'm excited about trying them, any feedback on results? We'll see what it says about Cholula, hmmm?

Best regards,

Diagnosed (via endoscopy) in Rockville, MD

[weluvgators]

During a prior post (sorry about the excessive "p" usage), there was mention of surface

contact testing strips. Could the original author followup with a reference to topic or external

reference? I'm excited about trying them, any feedback on results? We'll see what it says about Cholula, hmmm?

Are you asking about the home tests for gluten? Our family loves them! We were testing regularly, especially as we had to make many diet adjustments based on our initial testing! It was quite shocking - the whole experience. Even calling companies with positive test results in hand is interesting. My experience with contacting the University of Nebraska with my test results was also very interesting. I am so grateful that we were able to incorporate routine testing into our food planning. I posted about my initial round of testing here: I have since done many more tests. For home testing, we use the EZ Gluten test. It certainly is not perfect, and it does have limitations. But, it was instrumental in helping us achieve an improved state of health, and finally our super silly daughter is not having daily bellyaches!

The tests can also be used for surface testing, but I wasn't sure what you meant exactly. I was going to try and use them that way, but we don't have any practical need for that at this time. The EZ Gluten test manufacturer provided us with instructions to do surface testing too. I have always called to order my tests, but they take online orders too - Open Original Shared Link .

Hope it helps!