Fruit waxing is the process of covering

fruits In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particula ...

(and, in some cases, vegetables) with artificial waxing material. Natural wax is removed first, usually by washing, followed by a coating of a biological or petroleum derived wax. Potentially allergenic proteins ( peanut, soy,

dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...

, wheat) may be combined with shellac. The primary reasons for waxing are to prevent water loss (making up for the removal in washing of the natural waxes in fruits that have them, particularly citrus but also, for example, applesP. E. Kolattukudy
"Natural Waxes on Fruits"
, ''Post Harvest Pomology Newsletter'' 2.2 (1984), repr. Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, March 2003 (pdf)) and thus retard shrinkage and spoilage, and to improve appearance.Leo J. Klotz, Walter Reuther, E. Clair Calavan, Glenn E. Carman, ''et al''., ''The Citrus Industry'' Volume 5 ''Crop Protection, Postharvest Technology, and Early History of Citrus Research in California'', ANR publications (University of California, Oakland) 3326, rev. ed. Berkeley: University of California, 1989
p. 182
Dyes may be added to further enhance appearance,Keith Thompson, ''Fruit and Vegetables: Harvesting, Handling and Storage'', nd ed. of ''Postharvest Technology of Fruits and Vegetables''Oxford: Blackwell / Ames, Iowa: Iowa State, 2003,
p. 287
and sometimes fungicides.Frank D. Gunstone and Fred B. Padley, ''Lipid Technologies and Applications'', New York: Dekker, 1997
p. 463
Fruits were waxed to cause

fermentation Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food ...

as early as the 12th or the 13th century; commercial producers began waxing citrus to extend shelf life in the 1920s and 1930s. Aesthetics (consumer preference for shiny fruit) has since become the main reason. In addition to fruit, some vegetables can usefully be waxed, such as cassava. A distinction may be made between storage wax, pack-out wax (for immediate sale), and high-shine wax (for optimum attractiveness).L. R. Verma and V. K. Joshi, ''Postharvest Technology of Fruits and Vegetables: Handling, Processing, Fermentation, and Waste Management'', Volume 1 ''General Concepts and Principles'', New Delhi: Indus, 2000,
p. 120

Produce that is often waxed

A number of sources list the following as produce which may be waxed before shipping to stores: *apples * avocados * bell and hot peppers * cantaloupes * cucumbers * eggplant * grapefruit * lemons * limes * mangoes * melons * nectarines * oranges * papayas * parsnips * passion fruit * peaches * pears * pineapple * plums * pumpkins * rutabaga * squash * sweet potatoes * tangarines * tomatoes * turnips * yucca

Materials

The materials used to wax produce depend to some extent on regulations in the country of production and/or export. Both natural waxes ( carnauba, shellac, beeswax or resin) and petroleum-based waxes (usually proprietary formulae) are used, and often more than one wax is combined to create the desired properties for the fruit or vegetable being treated. Wax may be applied in a volatile petroleum-based solvent but is now more commonly applied via a water-based emulsion. Blended paraffin waxes applied as an oil or paste are often used on vegetables.

References

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Produce that is often waxed

Materials

See also

References

Further reading