Vinyl apples?
December 11, 2019 12:48 AM Subscribe
About two months ago I bought some Honeycrisp apples from a local big store that were packaged in a plastic clamshell box with spots for each apple. When I opened the package I was hit by a smell of what seemed to me to be like vinyl (like when you buy a new cheap plastic shower curtain). More within...
I called the store to ask about it and they hadn't heard of any other reports of that smell. I was going to return them but my husband (who doesn't really....pay a lot of attention to the wholesomeness of what he's eating to be honest) ate them. I assumed it was a one off problem with the packaging so didn't do more, but this last week I bought different apples (cosmic crisp this time) from a different store that were loose (from a bin, not in packaging) and they also have a faint smell of vinyl to me. It does go away if I wash them but I'm concerned they'd smell like that at all. Is anyone else here experiencing this? This is in the NW USA, and I'd also like to know, if I smell this again and the produce people don't give me a satisfactory answer as to what it is, who do I report this to as far as food safety?
I do want to say I've never experienced this before, it's disconcerting.
I called the store to ask about it and they hadn't heard of any other reports of that smell. I was going to return them but my husband (who doesn't really....pay a lot of attention to the wholesomeness of what he's eating to be honest) ate them. I assumed it was a one off problem with the packaging so didn't do more, but this last week I bought different apples (cosmic crisp this time) from a different store that were loose (from a bin, not in packaging) and they also have a faint smell of vinyl to me. It does go away if I wash them but I'm concerned they'd smell like that at all. Is anyone else here experiencing this? This is in the NW USA, and I'd also like to know, if I smell this again and the produce people don't give me a satisfactory answer as to what it is, who do I report this to as far as food safety?
I do want to say I've never experienced this before, it's disconcerting.
Ethylene is frequently used to ripen fruits - and indeed fruits themselves emit some. Perhaps this is what you're smelling?
posted by sciencegeek at 4:47 AM on December 11, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by sciencegeek at 4:47 AM on December 11, 2019 [2 favorites]
This is a really strange suggestion, but have you bought any new furniture lately? After buying a new dresser several years ago, I had a weird experience where all fruit and alcohol I consumed at home (but not when I wasn’t home) tasted like vinyl for awhile, worse when I was in the room with the dresser. This didn’t happen to my spouse.
posted by centrifugal at 6:40 AM on December 11, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by centrifugal at 6:40 AM on December 11, 2019 [2 favorites]
Apparently, apples can naturally produce all sorts of volatile, organic compounds -- many of which have odors. And the specific compounds can depend on whether the apples are exposed to oxygen or not. See, "Biochemistry of Apple Aroma: A Review". I've included an excerpt below.
In apples, the profile of volatile compounds changes with maturation; aldehydes predominate at the beginning, then the content of alcohols starts to increase considerably, and finally the profile is dominated by esters (15). Therefore, it is important to discuss exactly how the cultivar and biotic and abiotic factors affect the profile of aldehydes, alcohols and esters in apples.posted by alex1965 at 7:32 AM on December 11, 2019 [3 favorites]
Aldehydes derive mainly from the catabolism of fatty acids (9, 16). They can also derive from branched-chain amino acids such as isoleucine, leucine and valine (17, 18). There are reports of more than 25 aldehydes in apple (6), mostly hexanal, trans-2-hexenal and butanal. Aldehydes are abundant in pre-climacteric apples (19), but after ripening, the content of some aldehydes becomes almost imperceptible (9, 20). However, when volatile content is determined in homogenized tissue (juice), high concentrations of some aldehydes are found, mostly hexanal and hexenals (21, 22). Under hypoxic conditions apples can also produce acetaldehyde (23), which can be reduced to ethanol.
Ethylene smells a little sweet to me rather than plasticky. The good folks at the U.S. Apple Association will certainly be able to link you up with a postharvest researcher who can answer this in detail.
With a quick search, I see a postharvest overview here that includes mention of a couple compounds with a vinyl component, but I've no idea if these are anywhere in the region of a legitimate explanation:
"The accumulated CTs autoxidize to yield three primary ketone products, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (MHO), acetone and methyl vinyl ketone, which can be isolated from the epicuticular wax of stored apple."
"Control of ripening and softening by synthetic and natural bioregulants will be examined (NS, WA, CA, NY-G). The ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor aminoethoxyvinylglycine (trade name ReTain) is now approved in the U.S. to stop fruit drop and retain fineness in apples and pears at harvest. "
posted by jocelmeow at 9:56 AM on December 11, 2019 [1 favorite]
With a quick search, I see a postharvest overview here that includes mention of a couple compounds with a vinyl component, but I've no idea if these are anywhere in the region of a legitimate explanation:
"The accumulated CTs autoxidize to yield three primary ketone products, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (MHO), acetone and methyl vinyl ketone, which can be isolated from the epicuticular wax of stored apple."
"Control of ripening and softening by synthetic and natural bioregulants will be examined (NS, WA, CA, NY-G). The ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor aminoethoxyvinylglycine (trade name ReTain) is now approved in the U.S. to stop fruit drop and retain fineness in apples and pears at harvest. "
posted by jocelmeow at 9:56 AM on December 11, 2019 [1 favorite]
Since you just started noticing it and it's happening with different varieties from different stores - has anything changed that might alter your sense of smell? Medication, hormonal change, change in other fragranced products you use? A lot of factors go into what scents you can perceive and how you interpret them, as suggested by centrifugal's comment above. I often go through short periods where I'm extra-sensitive to scents and haven't been able to track down a reason, FWIW.
I doubt this is a food safety issue, having worked with postharvest rot and storage facilities for pears. Wash your pears or sniff before you buy for your own enjoyment.
posted by momus_window at 1:11 PM on December 11, 2019 [1 favorite]
I doubt this is a food safety issue, having worked with postharvest rot and storage facilities for pears. Wash your pears or sniff before you buy for your own enjoyment.
posted by momus_window at 1:11 PM on December 11, 2019 [1 favorite]
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Also most apples are washed in a cleaning solution and many apples are coated with a good grade wax to preserve them. Perhaps you are sensitive to this... The ethylene test would at least give you a starting point.
posted by chasles at 4:46 AM on December 11, 2019 [6 favorites]