August 23, 2002 – With the apple harvest starting, Quebec producers are worried after the alarm was raised about the potential toxicity of the wax used to coat the fruits in order to preserve them and give them a better appearance.
The wax in question contains morpholine, a product not recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).1 The danger does not come from morpholine itself, which does not seem to cause toxic effects during exposure, but rather from its derivative, N-nitrosamine (N-nitrosomorpholine) which results from its immediate conversion. This product has indeed been found to be carcinogenic in animals. The main source of exposure for the population is from the consumption of “contaminated” food.
Morpholine allows the wax to be evenly spread over fruits and vegetables. In the case of apples, after picking, they are stored in bulk in large bins. The packers, who can also be producers, then take over and soak the apples in a wax bath.
The food industry is a heavy user of morpholine which is found not only in waxes for fruits and vegetables, but also in the food processing process (steam treatment) as well as in food packaging materials. Studies have also detected morpholine in shampoos, cosmetics, toiletries, and rubber products, including pacifiers (pacifiers and bottles).
The file is now in the offices of Health Canada, which must rule on its dangerousness. For this, the manufacturing companies will have to prove their harmlessness since the concentrations present in the various waxes incriminated remain confidential for commercial reasons.
Élisabeth Mercader – PasseportSanté.net.
According to Radio-Canada, August 15, 2002.
1. World Health Organization. The WHO Environmental Health Criteria Series. Morpholine. [Consulté le 22 août 2002].