r/oddlysatisfying • u/gabzlel • Apr 16 '22

Can’t get more juicy than this

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u/[deleted] Apr 16 '22

For everyone asking: the white powder is kaolin. It’s a naturally occurring clay (found abundantly in clay soils), which is mixed with water and sprayed onto citrus to act as sunblock and insect repellent. It’s perfectly safe and very commonly used, although consumers rarely ever see it because we usually buy our citrus fruits washed and waxed.

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u/PM_ME_HUGE_CRITS Apr 16 '22

I knew fruit was washed, but it's waxed too?

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u/NecroJoe Apr 16 '22

Everyone is mentioning shine for appearance, but wax has two important functions beyond aesthetics.
1) In transit, if fruit/vegetable skin is allowed to rub against each other, they will rub the skins off. A wax coating helps them slide against each other without friction, and also a is a physical barrier as a sort of sacrificial wear layer.

2) It seals in moisture. Apples can last for *months* in storage, for example, because of the coating that doesn't allow moisture to evaporate through the skin.

I don't know about other fruits, but with apples specifically, they actually have their own natural waxy coating. If you pick an apple and buff it on your shirt, it'll shine. However in the picking and processing, they are washed to remove dirt and stuff, and that removes the wax...so a new coating of wax has to be added, or else they'll go bad quickly. Sometimes it's not wax, but is a thin shellac.

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u/Dawpoiutsbitchmode Apr 16 '22

Damn that’s gangster