Produce Sticker Codes – Watch for them

 

Someone else posted the link for this, but I thought it was so important, I wanted to make sure we all understand this labeling system. Although they seem like a nuisance, the stickers or labels attached to fruit and some vegetables have more of a function than helping scan the price at the checkout stand. 

• The PLU code, or price lookup number printed on the sticker, also tells you how the fruit was grown.
• By reading the PLU code, you can tell if the fruit was
• genetically modified
• organically grown
• produced with chemical fertilizers, fungicides, or herbicides.

Here are the basics
of what you should know: 

 

4 NUMBERS

Four numbers in the PLU - produce was grown conventionally or “traditionally” with the use of pesticides.

• The last four letters of the PLU code are simply what kind of vegetable or fruit.
• An example is that all bananas are labeled with the code of 4011.

 

5 NUMBERS  - STARTS W/ 8 

• Five numbers in the PLU  - and the number starts with “8″, this tells you that the item is a genetically modified fruit or vegetable.
• Genetically modified fruits and vegetables trump being organic.
• It is possible to eat organic produce that are grown from genetically modified seeds.
• A genetically engineered (GE or GMO) banana would be: 84011

 

5 NUMBERS – STARTS W/ 9

• Five numbers in the PLU code, and the number starts with “9″, this tells you that the produce was grown organically and is not genetically modified.
• An organic banana would be: 94011

 

Start looking for those numbers!