Dear Sir,

We often choose to buy apples based on their country of origin and appearance. But appearances, as we know, can be deceptive, more so in case of apples! Nowadays, almost all apples come with a wax coating,  aimed at preserving them for a long time and making them look fresh. Wax coating gives the fruit a shiny appearance. It also prevents the fruit from interacting with the environment, thus delaying decay. From the point of view of merchants and producers, the entire process is legal and logical.
But consumers who pay for it deserve a better deal. Apples are rich in nutrition and delicious. Most of the nutritious elements as well as  substances giving the apple its unique flavour are concentrated in its peel or skin.
The consumer who buys apples should be able to enjoy the fruit in full. But in this age of unethical trade practices, the wax coating spoils the enjoyment.
Even some premium brands resort to covering their apples with wax.
Apple is a perishable item and supposed to get rotten within days of harvest. But with its artificial coating,the decomposition can be delayed for a long time.
But we should know that prolonged storage will reduce the health benefits of any fruit.
This unethical alteration of fruit may harm its consumers. Wax can cause as much harm as pesticides, according to some people. Those who are aware of it remove the peel before eating, thereby losing out on the most nutritious parts of the fruit.
Producers and suppliers don’t care about consumers. Their main aim is to do good business. But consumers have their rights and they must be protected.

Girish R Edathitta
(e-mail address supplied)

Rajinikanth is
the ultimate actor


Dear Sir,

In reference to the letter, “Too much fuss about nothing” (Gulf Times, July 24), I’m sorry to say that the writer has no appreciation for Rajinikanth, the actor.
Rajini, as his fans call him, is the ultimate actor for many people and all his film releases call for celebration. No other Indian actor has so many fans as he has. And it can’t be an accident or fluke.
There could be some genuine reasons for his films’  popularity. He doesn’t even belong to Tamil Nadu and still Tamil people consider him as their own. One of the reasons for all these is that he takes great care to separate his reel and real lives and never ever mixes them up.
He is not even good looking in the traditional sense. A dark and lean man, he is no chocolate hero as Indian stars often are . He is bald and he doesn’t try to cover up that with a wig in real life, as many stars do. But on the screen, his appearances change. That is the reason while other Indian film stars release their major films on a holiday, Rajinikanth’s film release dates become holidays!
Gulf Times did good in giving coverage to the release of his latest film, Kabali. And please continue with the coverage.

A Rajini fan
(Name and address supplied)