Apeel Sciences Responds to Federal Labeling Bill, Urges Transparency and Accuracy in Food Safety Debate

Apeel Sciences issued a public statement in response to H.R. 4737, the Apeel Reveal Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN.), affirming the company’s longstanding commitment to transparency in food labeling and addressing widespread misinformation surrounding its products and operations.

Commitment to Transparency and Food Labeling

The full statement from Apeel Sciences is as follows:

Apeel Sciences welcomes the opportunity to work with Congressman Marlin Stutzman on the important issue of food labeling to advance badly needed transparency in the U.S. food system. We agree with Rep. Stutzman: Every consumer deserves to know where they can find safer, higher-quality, fresher produce in their grocery stores. And this has been a longstanding company belief since our founding in 2012.

For decades, anonymous chemical substances have been used on fresh produce in the U.S. without transparency or clear consumer-facing information. Typical methods of protecting fresh produce after harvest often rely on single-use plastics, designer pesticides, synthetic waxes and intensive refrigeration—each with significant downsides.

Our plant-based, edible coatings help keep produce naturally fresh for longer, reduce food waste, and lower grocery costs for American families. Our products are among the safest and most rigorously tested on the market. The ingredients—plant-based simple fats called mono- and diglycerides, baking soda and citric acid—are common, naturally occurring food ingredients found in the edible peels, pulp, and seeds of fruits and vegetables that also have a long history of safe use in everyday foods such as baby formula, dairy products, baked goods, meats, and nut and seed butters.

Clarifying Misinformation About Ingredients and Ownership

Apeel Sciences has consistently exemplified and advocated for greater transparency in the U.S. food system. We’ve urged the industry to exceed existing legal requirements and share more information with consumers. That’s why produce protected with our products features the Apeel logo or sticker and why we remain the only post-harvest food coating brand most consumers can name.

We also believe elected leaders and media organizations have a responsibility to present truthful facts about food and agriculture, which is essential for earning and maintaining consumer trust in the food system. Please note the following facts about Apeel Sciences and our products:

•  Our products fully comply with existing labeling laws established by federal agencies and with retail disclosure requirements for both packaged and loose produce.
• The ingredients used in our products have long been publicly listed on our website (www.apeel.com).
• While first approved for use in 2017, our product for organic produce, Organipeel, has not been commercially available or used for nearly two years, as we are developing new products better suited to today’s needs of the organic industry.
• Bill Gates is not now, nor has he ever been, a shareholder in Apeel Sciences. He has never been an owner, advisor or held any position within the company.

Apeel Sciences is an innovation company inspired by nature and proudly built in the United States by scientists dedicated to reducing hunger, improving health and cutting food waste. Innovation means challenging the status quo, which sometimes attracts detractors.

Industry Dialogue and Ongoing Efforts for Food System Innovation

We welcome the spirit of Rep. Stutzman’s legislation, which would clarify for consumers that Apeel Sciences’ products are the healthy alternative to traditional post-harvest solutions that dominate today’s market, and we are keen to discuss this topic further with him.

Apeel’s statement follows a high-profile correction by actress Michelle Pfeiffer, who recently walked back a social media post that spread false claims about the company. Her full statement, posted to Instagram, reads:

“Ugh! For any of you who reposted or shared my story about Apeel…it turns out that Iunintentionally reposted inaccurate and outdated information, and I’m very sorry for that. Apeel Sciences has informed me that The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded two research grants to Apeel Sciences and Gates has no role with or ownership in Apeel.  And regarding their organic product, Organipeel, Apeel told me it was not JUST approved but was first allowed back in 2017, though it has not been offered commercially in any market for over two years because they have been working (through proper protocol) on new organic formulations to meet the evolving needs of the organic industry. ...Public conversations about food safety and sustainability matter deeply, but they’re only as helpful as they are accurate. Thank you! Xx M”

Apeel Sciences executives praised Pfeiffer’s willingness to correct the record and underscored the company’s concerns about an ongoing disinformation campaign against it that began in 2023. The campaign has featured coordinated online falsehoods targeting Apeel’s leadership, products, and retail partners, and incited harassment and threats directed towards partners and employees. The disinformation campaign was addressed in an open letter from Apeel Sciences executives in 2024.

Last week, Apeel Sciences submitted a formal request to meet with Rep. Stutzman to discuss H.R. 4737 and reiterate its willingness to collaborate on solutions that benefit consumers and producers alike. In the letter, Apeel Sciences emphasized that food transparency supports both informed choice and innovative companies trying to build a safer, more sustainable food system for the future.

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