I’m an apple farmer – how the wax on your fruit really gets there, you shouldn’t be afraid

Light the wax, remove it. Wax it again.

You may have noticed that when you run a knife over a store-bought apple, the wax scrapes off—but Kait Thornton (@apple.girl.kait), an apple and pear farmer in Washington state, promises that it’s not a addition of unhealthy ingredients.

“There’s so much fear around food and where our food comes from and I don’t want you guys to be afraid of what you’re putting in your body — especially when it’s something that’s a superfood like apples.” she said.

Thronton is a fourth-generation farmer and runs the 440-acre Thronton Family Farms in Tonasket, Washington with her father, Geoff.

In a viral video that has amassed 5.3 million views, she recounted what the deal is with apple wax, explaining a process she says dates back to the 1920s.

First, she showed two apples from her farm. The first one, on the left, came straight from a tree and looks healthy, but not as pretty or shiny, covered in a layer of mud that protects it from the sun.

On the right is an apple that has gone through the cleaning process and is perfectly shiny and bright. But when Thornton ran a knife through it, the wax scratches came off.

“It may shock you that there is wax in store-bought apples, but let me tell you what this apple has that is straight from the tree,” she said.

She then took the less beautiful apple and scratched it too – and the wax came out of that too. This wax is the apple cuticle, a natural protective layer that many fruits and vegetables have.

“The apple produces a natural wax on it and that helps retain water so it doesn’t wrinkle,” she explained. “It also looks very attractive to any species that might want to eat it. And it’s very important for the overall health of the apple.”

@apple.girl.kait

No, it’s not just to “make them look pretty”. Although they do! A large amount of food waste is prevented by applying a natural wax to fruits and vegetables after they have been cleaned! 🧼 You can remove any wax by running your product under warm water (don’t boil it, it bleaches it) and drying it with a towel/paper towel! Here’s what most of the waxes used are: 1️⃣ Carnauba Wax – Derived from the leaves of the carnauba palm. – Commonly used for high gloss and durability. 2️⃣ Beeswax – Natural wax produced by bees. – Provides a subtle shine and protective layer. 3️⃣ Shellac – Derived from the resin secreted by the lac insect. – Often used to create a glossy finish and protective barrier. Ok, now I’ve helped you learn some new things… Merry Christmas!🎄🎁❤️ ⭐️ Be safe, please don’t drink and drive. . #farm #apple #farmgirl #learnontiktok #farming #fruit #freshproduce #freshfruit #foodfacts #washington #pnw #christmas #herrychristmas #holidays #applegirl

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When those apples are sent to be cleaned for sale, any dirt and chemicals are washed away – but so is the natural wax.

The new food grade wax is added at the bottom to restore the apple’s protective layer to prevent it from spoiling too quickly, becoming infected by fungi or losing nutrients.

Thornton listed three of the most common waxes used to replace the apple’s natural cuticle: beeswax, carnauba wax from the leaves of the carnauba palm and shellac, which comes from the resin secreted by the lac insect.

The farmer’s educational video has been eye-opening for viewers, with some joking that apples have “skin care” and “produce that wax in part to look pretty for us.”

“As a nutritionist who actively fights food phobias, THANK YOU,” wrote one commenter.

Another plans to show the video to their dad, writing: “He’s going through a phase where he thinks all store produce is poison and GMOs.”

“I love hearing from our current farmers and producers. They have such a wealth of specialist knowledge, it’s amazing. They keep the world moving and we should all want to learn from them,” another viewer wrote.