Coles and Woolworths will soon sell apples without a wax coating in response to consumer demand for more 'natural' products.
The flavourless wax coating, which is reportedly also used in confectionery products, has been used to keep apples shiny for decades.
Woolworths will introduce the changes in February, while Coles is currently introducing the change.
Phillip Turnbull, CEO of Apple and Pear Australia (APAL), told ABC Rural there was some debate over the lifespan of the fruit and whether waxed apples lasted longer.
"The wax applied does hold some of the moisture in on apples, so the reality is that the apples with wax may last longer at certain times of year or [in] certain climatic conditions or retail conditions, but it won't have a significant impact," Turnbull said.
Some growers said they would be inconvenienced by the change because they would now need to wax some fruit but not others, complicating packing lines and adding costs.
Woolworths said the move had been driven by changing consumer demand for more natural products, and it hoped the move would push up sales of apples.
Coles stated it has had 'no added wax' apples in more than 90 Coles supermarkets in WA since April 2016, and [in] more than 60 stores in SA and the NT since September 2016, which saw a positive customer response.
It said it has worked alongside its growers all over Australia to completely remove the waxing process.
