A Technical Information Bulletin of the Northwest Horticultural Council Fruit Coatings Coatings may be applied to fresh apples, as well as other fruits and vegetables, to prevent moisture loss, shriveling, enhance appearance, and maintain firmness during handling and storage. Fruit coatings used by the Northwest tree fruit industry are from two natural sources.
Carnauba wax is shaken from the harvested leaves of the carnauba palm.
Shellac wax is a resin secreted by the lac beetle, an insect found in Asia, to protect its eggs. Lac production by this insect is similar to honey production by bees. No synthetic-based waxes are used. Coatings help to maintain fruit quality and replace the small amount of natural wax removed when fruit is washed prior to packing. One gallon of wax covers up to 12,000 pounds of fruit.