That apple you just bought might be a year old – but does it matter?

The leaves are changing, the temperature is dropping, and as we slide
fully into fall, the shift in season means one very important thing
for foodies: It's apple season.

But did you know that the apples on the shelves of your supermarket
might be nearly a year old? Here's why — and why it doesn’t
necessarily mean you should panic.

Lauren Sucher, a spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration,
confirmed to TODAY.com that apples on store shelves aren’t always as
fresh as they seem.

“A number of commodities, including apples, may be stored to extend
their availability for marketing,” she said. “In controlled
temperatures and low humidity, apples can be stored for months before
being consumed.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website, freshly
picked apples left untreated will last a few weeks before they turn
soft and rot, so they’re often stored under temperature-controlled
conditions that allow them to last up to 10 months. Once they’re
removed from storage, however, the clock starts ticking again.

“To slow the proverbial sands of time, some fruit distributors treat
their apple bins with a gaseous compound, 1-methylcyclopropene,” the
USDA states. “It extends the fruits’ post-storage quality by blocking
ethylene, a colorless gas that naturally regulates ripening and
aging.”

The same chemical is used to lessen the “de-greening of broccoli,
browning of lettuce, and bitterness in carrots,” according to the
USDA.

But even if this fact is surprising, it shouldn’t be scary. Although
antioxidants and taste may wane over time, experts tell TODAY.com that
such treatments are perfectly safe.

For starters, off-farm facilities that store food for consumption in
the U.S. must register with the FDA, and must comply with related
safety requirements, Sucher says.

Prolonging the life of produce isn’t a new concept, either. “Before
the current technology, people had root cellars to extend the shelf
life and availability of food commodities such as apples,” Sucher
added. “This common, widespread practice allows consumers to eat a
wider variety of produce items for more months of the year now than in
decades past.”

Phil Lempert, a consumerologist who’s also known as the Supermarket
Guru, told TODAY.com via email that while apples can exist in cold
storage for a year before being shipped to supermarkets, their shelf
life once they’re in stores usually is “only days to a couple of
weeks.”

Martin Lindstrom, author of “Truth and Lies About What We Buy,” told
TODAY.com it’s more common for international supermarkets to sell
apples that have been picked more than a year earlier, but that that's
less often the case in the United States.

Of course, not all harvested apples go into long-term storage. Many
are delivered to fresh markets. In addition, not all apples from
storage appear in the produce section. They may be used to make
juices, frozen pies and other types of processed foods, Sucher says.

But even if extending the life of apples is safe, a store-bought apple
may not be the healthiest option.

“A fresh-picked apple is always going to have the optimal nutrient
profile of vitamins and minerals,” said Madelyn Fernstrom, a diet and
nutrition editor for TODAY. “Apples are especially rich in
polyphenols, a type of antioxidant.”

Those antioxidants appear to disappear over time. The website Food
Renegade cites research that claims a year-old apple may retain close
to none of its antioxidant properties.

Fernstrom said there may be truth to the correlation between age and
decreasing antioxidant value, but stated the use of ethylene doesn’t
appear to be the reason for it.

“A recent study suggests that the amount of antioxidants in apples
might drop with extended storage," she added, "because these
antioxidants are found in the peel, not the flesh of the apple.”

Although it’s often difficult to determine which supermarket apples
are freshest until after they’re bought, Lindstrom said some markets
are working to provide better information about each apple. “Some
retailers are now offering ‘footprints,’ telling [shoppers] when it
was grown and when it was picked,” he added.

And if you don’t want to play that kind of guessing game? “Your best
bet is to buy apples seasonally and locally,” Fernstrom said.

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