Gastro doctor explains why he avoids ‘supermarket’ apples
A doctor has shared the reasons why he avoids buying apples from certain supermarkets – and his favourite breakfast buy for gut health.
Melbourne gastroenterologist Dr Paul Froomes said apples naturally produce a thin layer of wax on their skin, which helps keep them fresh for longer.
However, during the processing stage after harvesting, the apples are washed, removing their natural wax coating.
Before hitting shelves, some apples are typically coated with a food-grade wax that could potentially trap pesticide and insecticide residues, making them harder to wash off before eating, Dr Froomes claimed.
In an eye-opening video, Dr Froomes scraped a layer of wax off a store-bought apple with a knife to show viewers what was on its surface.
‘Are you still buying supermarket apples? And eating the skin? Here’s what you’re actually consuming,’ Dr Froomes explained.
‘Supermarket apples are coated in a synthetic wax layer applied during processing. The fruit naturally produces a fine wax of its own, but that gets stripped and replaced with an artificial one – designed to preserve shelf life.
‘The skin of an apple is where most of the fibre and polyphenols sit – the exact nutrients that feed beneficial gut bacteria and support intestinal barrier function.’
Melbourne Dr Paul Froomes has revealed why he would never eat supermarket apples
The co-founder of The Microbiome Clinic said the artificial wax was typically applied to apples to keep them preserved until they reach supermarkets.
However, if shoppers prefer supermarket apples, he said they should always peel off the skin before eating just in case.
‘If you want to eat supermarket-bought apples, that’s fine. It’s just safer for your health if you peel them,’ he said.
Dr Froomes said he always opts for organic varieties.
‘If you can, buy organic. An organic apple lets you eat the whole fruit – skin included -without the chemical baggage,’ he explained.
‘This is the kind of apple that I like to eat because then you can eat the skin where all the nutrients and fibre are.’
‘If organic isn’t accessible, peel your supermarket apples. You’ll lose some fibre, but you’ll avoid what’s sitting on the surface.
‘Small swaps like this compound over time. Your microbiome doesn’t need more chemical stress – it needs more real food.’
He added: ‘Unless you want to be eating wax, buy yourself organic apples.’
Apples naturally produce a thin layer of wax on their skin, which helps keep them fresh for longer. But during the processing stage, they are washed, losing their natural wax coating
In 2017, Coles and Woolworths announced they were phasing out waxed apples. However, other grocers in Australia and around the world still sell them.
Coles was said to be the first major Australian supermarket in decades to offer no-added-wax apples to customers, with Woolworths following suit.
‘We know our customers want to eat more natural, fresh foods so we are proud to work with apple growers all over Australia to remove the waxing process and offer a more natural version of this Australian favourite,’ a Coles General Manager of Fresh Produce said in early 2018.
On its website, Woolworths confirmed its apples are ‘100 per cent Australian-grown, with a natural shine and no added wax’.
