Apple is one of the favourite fruits for most of the people in the World. The delicious and crunchy fruit is rich in anti-oxidants (disease fighting compounds) and full of a fibre called pectin – a soluble and viscous fibre that gives it a huge list of health benefits. Apples are also rich in vitamin C, and they are low in calories, have only a trace of sodium, and no fat or cholesterol content. Apple is a good source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin, and pyridoxine (Vitamin B-6). According to the recent research, it was found that apples are associated with a lower risk of death from both coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease.
Waxed ApplesÂ
Nowadays, the apples imported from foreign countries are being coated with wax for the purpose of preservation and cold storage. These wax coated apples look fresh even after one year. The coated wax prevents bacteria to enter and it does not get dry. Rather than coating with natural wax (bees wax, carnauba wax or shellac wax), some producers use harmful petroleum-based waxes for coating of apples and the chemical sprayed on Apples are highly detrimental to health. These petroleum wax gives additional shining to the Apples and the buyers usually get attracted to them. These waxed apples causes severe digestive problems to humans in the long run.
What should we do?
- Before eating scrub the Apples with brush under running water.Â
- Wash it with Lemon Juice before eating (Suggestion from WHO).Â
- Use of baking soda as a scrubbing agent (Suggestion from Environmental Protection Agency).
Rather than doing all these absolutely unnecessary things, it is highly advisable to buy Indian Apples which are supplied by Indian distributors to the local vendors. Even though these Indian Apples don’t shine as the imported, it is natural and healthy.
Knowledge is Wealth
- Fresh and Healthy Enterprise Limited (FHEL) –Â a fully owned subsidiary of CONCOR India Ltd. It was incorporated in February 2006.Â
- FHEL has procured and traded around 12000 MT of apples from Shimla and Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh directly from the farmers.
- CONCOR – Container Corporation of India Ltd – a Navratna PSU under the Indian Ministry of Railways. It was incorporated in March 1988.
- CONCOR is one of the top Indian companies in the shipping and logistics sector.Â
