Apeel Sciences battles coordinated misinformation over its edible produce coating

In mid‑2023, after a Canadian pilot replaced plastic wrap on English cucumbers with Apeel Sciences' plant‑based edible coating, the company was hit by a surge of consumer safety questions. The confusion began when social‑media posts mistakenly linked the coating to a UK industrial cleaning product that shared the name “Apeel,” presenting its hazard warnings as if they applied to the food product.

The narrative then mutated into conspiracy claims that tied the coating to two small grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2012 and 2015). Posts labeled the product “Bill Gates’ Apeel” and alleged it could deliver vaccines or microchips. Apeel responded with science‑based explanations and factual clarifications, but the misinformation persisted, suggesting a coordinated online campaign. The grants were for research on post‑harvest food loss in sub‑Saharan Africa and did not confer any ownership or control to the foundation.