6 Strange Things That Happen to Your Food Before You Buy It—and What Actually Matters
Summary
The trip from farm to grocery cart is considerably more complicated than most shoppers realize. Apples may be coated with edible wax. Farmed salmon can receive pigments through its feed. Poultry may be chilled in antimicrobial-treated water. Organic crops can still be treated with approved pesticides. Almonds are pasteurized. Some of these practices sound alarming but exist primarily to reduce spoilage or foodborne illness. The useful question is not whether a food has been “processed” before reaching the store. It is whether that particular process meaningfully changes its safety, nutrition, or value.
What happens to food before it reaches the grocery store?
Fresh foods may be washed, chilled, waxed, pasteurized, treated with approved antimicrobials, or produced with pesticides and veterinary drugs before reaching the grocery store. Many of these steps improve food safety or shelf life. Consumers should focus on meaningful differences—nutrition, sodium, food-safety practices, and verified production claims—rather than frightening-sounding processing terms.
Topics
what happens to food before you buy it, food processing before grocery store, grocery store food facts, food safety processing, wax on apples, is apple wax safe, farmed salmon color, why is farmed salmon pink, air-chilled chicken vs water-chilled chicken, antibiotics in meat, raised without antibiotics meaning, organic produce pesticides, does organic mean pesticide free, almond pasteurization, why are almonds pasteurized, food labels explained, healthy grocery shopping, food safety facts, Denver nutrition coach, personal trainer Denver, personal trainer LoHi
Salmon Weight Loss / Photo: Laura oliveira
The Grocery Store Is the End of a Much Longer Story
An apple sitting under the fluorescent lights of a supermarket appears almost comically simple. It is an apple. Pick it, box it, truck it, sell it. Agriculture does not work quite that neatly. Food has to survive harvesting, packing, transportation, temperature changes, storage, microbes, insects, moisture loss, bruising and, occasionally, weeks between farm and kitchen. The modern food system has developed an equally long list of interventions to manage those problems.
Some sound worse than they are. “Wax coating” evokes a candle rather than an apple. “Chlorine treatment” sounds more appropriate for a swimming pool than a chicken-processing facility. Pasteurizing an almond seems strange until you remember that low-moisture foods can still harbor pathogens. This distinction matters because food conversations tend to collapse two different questions into one: Was something done to my food? and is that thing harmful to me? They are not the same question. Here are six practices worth understanding before your next trip through the grocery store.
Table of Contents
Produce May Get an Edible Wax Coating
Farmed Salmon Gets Help With Its Color
Chicken May Take a Chilled Antimicrobial Bath
Meat Labels Can Tell You Something—But Read Them Precisely
Organic Produce Can Still Be Treated With Pesticides
Almonds Are Pasteurized Before You Eat Them
What Should You Actually Do at the Grocery Store?
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1. Produce May Get an Edible Wax Coating
That glossy apple is not necessarily showing off. Fresh fruits and vegetables continue losing water after harvest. Apples, cucumbers, citrus fruits, and other produce may therefore receive a thin edible coating designed to reduce moisture loss, slow deterioration, and extend marketable life. Modern coatings can contain lipids, proteins, polysaccharides, or combinations of ingredients that alter moisture and gas exchange at the food surface.
A 2025 review in Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety examined the composition and safety of edible fruit and vegetable coatings. The authors concluded that most ingredients used in these coatings do not pose a risk at the levels at which they are consumed, while also emphasizing the need for continued safety evaluation as new coating formulations appear. This is a good example of why “processed” is an imprecise synonym for “unhealthy.” Extending the life of produce can reduce dehydration, spoilage, and food waste without turning an apple into junk food.
What should you do? Wash whole produce under cool running water before cutting or eating it. Rub the surface with your hands and use a clean produce brush for firm foods such as cucumbers and melons. Drying it afterward with a clean towel can further reduce surface bacteria.
One important correction to older advice: do not wash fruits and vegetables with soap or household detergent. The FDA specifically advises against it because produce is porous and can absorb detergent residue. Commercial produce washes aren't necessary either. Unless you have another reason to remove it, don't automatically peel produce just because it looks glossy. Peeling can also discard fiber and plant compounds contained in or near the skin.
2. Farmed Salmon Gets Help With Its Color
Salmon provides one of the more visually dramatic examples of the difference between wild and farmed food production. Wild salmon obtain carotenoid pigments from the aquatic food chain. Astaxanthin, a reddish carotenoid found in organisms salmon eat, contributes to the characteristic pink, orange, and red flesh we associate with the fish. Farmed salmon do not necessarily have access to that same diet, so producers can incorporate carotenoids into their feed. The FDA permits astaxanthin in salmonid feed specifically to enhance flesh color, subject to regulatory limits.
That fact sometimes gets converted online into the much more provocative claim that farmed salmon is “dyed.” Technically, pigment is being added through the animal's feed. Nutritionally, however, that pigment tells you very little about whether salmon belongs on your plate.
Both wild and farmed salmon can provide high-quality protein and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Their exact fatty-acid and micronutrient profiles vary with species, feed, geography, and production system, which makes sweeping statements such as “wild salmon is always healthier” less useful than they sound.
What should you do? Treat salmon as a protein choice rather than a purity test. Compare price, source, species, and sustainability considerations, and eat fish as part of a varied diet if it fits your medical and nutritional needs. If the color of farm-raised salmon concerns you, understand what is actually producing it before paying a large premium based solely on appearance.
3. Chicken May Take a Chilled Antimicrobial Bath
Processing poultry requires one immediate practical problem to be solved: a warm carcass needs to cool rapidly enough to limit bacterial growth. One common approach is immersion chilling. Chickens move through cold water during processing, and antimicrobial interventions can control pathogens within poultry-processing systems. Another method, air chilling, cools poultry with cold air rather than immersing it in a chill tank.
USDA explains that chickens and turkeys can absorb some water during immersion chilling. When water is retained in a single-ingredient raw poultry product, the amount has to be declared on the label. USDA notes that labels declaring roughly 8% to 12% retained water are not unusual. The word “chlorine” understandably gets attention, but context matters. Antimicrobial processing is intended to reduce microbial contamination; chemical names alone do not establish that a food presents a health hazard.
Another chicken-label issue more relevant to everyday nutrition is added solutions. Some poultry products contain water, salt, broth, or flavoring solutions. Those additions can materially increase sodium intake.
What should you do? Turn the package over. Compare sodium per serving and look at the ingredient list. If chicken contains chicken plus a solution of water, salt, and other ingredients, you are buying something nutritionally different from an unenhanced chicken breast. If you prefer air-chilled chicken for texture, retained-water concerns, or personal preference, buy it. Just don't assume immersion-chilled poultry is inherently unsafe.
Quick Summary
Produce may receive an edible coating to reduce moisture loss and extend shelf life.
Farmed salmon gets its pink-orange color from carotenoids in its feed, particularly astaxanthin.
Chicken may be water-chilled and exposed to approved antimicrobial treatments during processing.
Antibiotic and hormone labels require more nuance than phrases such as “antibiotic-free” suggest.
Organic produce can be treated with approved pesticides; organic does not mean untreated.
Almonds are pasteurized for a reason: Salmonella can survive in low-moisture foods.
4. Meat Labels Can Tell You Something—But Read Them Precisely
The old version of this article dismissed “antibiotic-free” language largely as marketing. That needs updating. USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service recognizes animal-raising claims including “Raised Without Antibiotics,” “No Antibiotics Ever,” and related language. FSIS evaluates supporting documentation for these voluntary claims and has expanded verification efforts around them. That differs from saying conventional meat should contain clinically meaningful antibiotic residues.
Veterinary drugs are subject to withdrawal periods intended to allow residues to fall below legal tolerances before slaughter. USDA also operates residue-monitoring programs. For chicken, for example, FSIS notes that antibiotics can be used, but a withdrawal period is required before slaughter, and poultry is sampled for residues.
The broader public-health discussion of antibiotic use in food animals centers on antimicrobial resistance, not simply the idea that eating a conventional chicken breast gives you a dose of antibiotics. Contemporary reviews continue to identify responsible antimicrobial stewardship in animal agriculture as an important component of preserving antibiotic effectiveness. Hormone labels require their own careful reading. USDA states that steroid hormone implants for growth are not approved in poultry. Hormone-related rules differ by animal species, so a hormone claim on beef is not equivalent to the same wording on chicken.
What should you do? If animal-production practices matter to you, choose specific, regulated claims rather than vague health halos. “Raised Without Antibiotics” tells you something about production. It should not be interpreted as meaning conventional meat is automatically contaminated with unsafe antibiotic residues.
5. Organic Produce Can Still Be Treated With Pesticides
Few food labels are misunderstood as consistently as “organic.” USDA organic certification is a production standard. It does not mean that no pesticide or pest-control substance has ever touched the crop. Organic farmers are expected to rely first on management, mechanical, physical, and biological approaches to pests and disease. When those approaches are insufficient, farmers may use certain substances under National Organic Program rules. In general, nonsynthetic substances are allowed unless specifically prohibited, while synthetic substances are prohibited unless specifically included on the National List. That distinction is far more accurate than saying organic produce is “pesticide-free.”
Evidence suggests that eating organic foods can reduce exposure to some pesticide residues. A recent systematic review found that clinical trials consistently reported lower pesticide exposure among people consuming organic diets, although evidence that organic food produces superior long-term health outcomes remains much less certain. The practical lesson is not that organic is meaningless. It means something more specific than “chemical-free.”
What should you do? Buy organic when its production standards matter to you, and the price fits your budget. If organic prices discourage you from eating fruits and vegetables altogether, conventional produce remains a nutritionally valuable option. Wash either type under running water before eating or preparing it.
6. Almonds Are Pasteurized Before You Eat Them
Pasteurization sounds perfectly ordinary when applied to milk and oddly industrial when applied to an almond. Microbiology doesn’t care about our expectations. Low-moisture foods are not automatically sterile. Salmonella has been an important concern in almonds, which is why commercial processing incorporates validated pathogen-reduction treatments. Those methods can include heat-based processes and other approved interventions.
Recent research helps explain why these processes exist. In a 2023 study published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology, researchers compared ultraviolet light, chemical sanitizers, and heat for reducing Salmonella on almonds. A 75°C heat treatment of vacuum-packaged whole almonds produced greater than a five-log reduction while preserving color and visual quality better than the tested alternatives. An earlier 2022 study by the same research group similarly found that dry heat combined with vacuum packaging could achieve substantial Salmonella reductions with minimal visible deterioration of the almonds. That puts the processing question into perspective. The relevant comparison is not “natural almond versus tampered-with almond.” It is the benefits and drawbacks of a particular pathogen-control method.
What should you do? If you prefer a particular pasteurization process, check the manufacturer's information or contact the company. But there is little reason to avoid almonds merely because they have undergone a validated pathogen-reduction treatment. Almonds remain a useful source of unsaturated fat, fiber, protein, and micronutrients.
What Should You Actually Do at the Grocery Store?
Most shoppers don't need a forensic investigation of every apple, chicken breast, and almonds. A better grocery strategy is surprisingly ordinary.
Read the ingredient list when one food can hide another. A package that looks like plain chicken may contain an added solution. A flavored nut may contain substantial sodium or added sugar. Processing matters more when it meaningfully changes what you are eating.
Compare nutrition labels rather than relying on front-of-package language. “Natural,” “organic,” “air chilled,” and “raised without antibiotics” describe different attributes. None automatically tells you the food's calories, sodium, fiber, protein, or overall place in your diet.
Wash produce correctly. Plain running water, gentle rubbing, and a produce brush for firm items are sufficient for home preparation. Skip the dish soap.
Don't let food-safety interventions frighten you away from nutritious foods. Pasteurization, refrigeration, sanitation and edible coatings exist partly because food has to remain safe and usable while moving through a large supply chain.
Spend your nutritional attention where it produces the greatest return. Whether an apple carries a microscopic edible coating is probably less consequential to your health than whether you regularly eat fruit in the first place. Whether salmon received astaxanthin through feed is probably less important than the broader pattern of protein and fat sources across your week.
The same principle applies when I discuss nutrition with clients during personal training in LoHi, Denver. Healthy eating becomes unnecessarily difficult when you treat every unfamiliar ingredient or agricultural practice as a threat. The more useful skill is learning which details actually change the nutritional equation. For people combining nutrition changes with resistance training, weight management, or injury prevention, a Denver personal trainer can also help place individual food choices inside the larger context of training volume, body-composition goals, recovery, and everyday habits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the wax on apples safe to eat?
Edible coatings slow moisture loss and deterioration. A 2025 scientific review found that most ingredients used in edible coatings do not pose a safety concern at the quantities normally consumed, although newer formulations require continued evaluation. Wash the apple under running water and eat the peel if you enjoy it.
Should I wash apples with soap to remove wax?
No. The FDA recommends washing fruits and vegetables under running water and specifically advises against using soap, detergent, or commercial produce washes. Rub the surface with your hands and use a clean produce brush for firm produce.
Is farmed salmon artificially colored?
Farmed salmon can receive astaxanthin or other approved carotenoid pigments through its feed to produce the familiar pink-orange flesh. Wild salmon acquire carotenoids through their natural food chain. Feed-derived astaxanthin does not, by itself, make farmed salmon unhealthy.
Is air-chilled chicken healthier than water-chilled chicken?
Not necessarily. Air chilling avoids the retained water associated with immersion chilling and may affect texture, but either method can be part of a safe processing system. For nutrition, check sodium and the ingredient list for added solutions.
Does organic mean pesticide-free?
No. USDA organic standards restrict which substances and farming methods can be used, but certain pest-control substances are permitted. Organic diets appear to reduce exposure to some pesticide residues, but that is different from saying organic food has never been treated.
Does meat labeled “raised without antibiotics” contain fewer antibiotic residues?
The claim primarily describes how the animal was raised. Conventional animal products are still subject to drug-withdrawal requirements and residue tolerances. The broader reason many consumers and public-health researchers care about agricultural antibiotic use is antimicrobial resistance.
Why are almonds pasteurized?
Almonds are a low-moisture food, but pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella can survive under low-moisture conditions. Pasteurization or another validated pathogen-reduction treatment lowers that food-safety risk.
Should I avoid processed food altogether?
“Processed” covers an enormous range—from washed spinach and pasteurized almonds to sugar-sweetened desserts. Judge the actual intervention and nutritional composition rather than assuming that any processing step makes a food unhealthy.
Peer-Reviewed Research
Gammage S, Marangoni AG. (2025). Safety of edible coatings on fruits and vegetables. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 24(2), e70108.
PMID: 39898906
DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.70108
Poulia KA, Bakaloudi DR, Alevizou M, Papakonstantinou E, Zampelas A, Chourdakis M. (2025). Impact of organic foods on chronic diseases and health perception: a systematic review of the evidence. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 79(2), 90–103.
PMID: 39261657
DOI: 10.1038/s41430-024-01505-w
Xu S, Chen H. (2023). Mild heat treatment achieved better inactivation of Salmonella and preservation of almond quality than ultraviolet light and chemical sanitizers. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 399, 110253.
PMID: 37210955
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110253
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MICHAEL MOODY, PERSONAL TRAINER
As an author, a personal trainer in Denver, and a podcast host, Michael Moody has helped personal training clients reach new fitness heights and achieve incredible weight-loss transformations since 2005. He also produces the wellness podcast "The Elements of Being" and has been featured on NBC, WGN Radio, and PBS.
Michael offers personal training to Denver residents who want to meet at the 2460 W 26th Ave studio….or in their homes throughout LoHi (80206), LoDo (80202), RiNo (80216), Washington Park (80209), Cherry Creek (80206, 80209, 80243, 80246, 80231), and Highlands (80202, 80211, 80212). Michael also offers personal training sessions in Jefferson Park (80211) and Sloan's Lake (80204, 80212).
If you’re looking for a personal trainer who can curate a sustainable (and adaptable) routine based on your needs and wants, Michael is the experienced practitioner you’ve been looking for. Try personal training for a month…your body will thank you!
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Grocery decisions in Denver often fit into a larger health routine: weekday strength training, restaurant meals, active weekends, hiking, skiing, and the practical challenge of eating consistently on a busy schedule. At Michael Moody Fitness, nutrition education complements individualized strength, mobility, and body-composition programming for clients training at the private LoHi studio and throughout Denver. The emphasis is not on “clean” versus “toxic” foods, but on understanding labels, building a varied whole-food diet, and making choices that can survive ordinary Colorado life.
