7 out of 10 items in grocery store shelves contain ingredients that have been genetically modified. Fruit and vegetables do not come with nutrition labels but they do have stickers (PLU – Price Look Up Code) which contain pertinent information.
Next time you decide to purchase that apple or cut a slice out of that melon, consider the PLU sticker. This sticker will tell you whether the fruit was organically grown, genetically modified, or produced with chemical fertilizers, herbicides or fungicides.
PLU stickers that have 4 digits and begin with a “3″ or “4″: produce is conventionally grown. This means that this produce was sprayed with weed killers and chemical pesticides.
PLU stickers that have 5-digits and start with “8″: produce was genetically engineered (man intervened by manipulating the genes to produce a larger or brighter colored food). This produce may have been chemically treated.
PLU stickers that have 5-digits and start with “9″: produce was raised organically. You can be sure that this produce was not treated with any chemicals.
If you see other variations of code on your produce, you can refer to the following website and look up the PLU code as well as other information regarding this topic: http://www.fruitsticker.com/
Note: the adhesive used to stick the PLU onto the fruit is edible but the sticker itself is not.
Having some origin coding would be great for seeing how far a particular fruit/vegetable traveled but that is something still hidden in our giant supermarkets.
So what about canned fruit and veggies? Is there any way I can tell whether the fruit/vegetables used are genetically modified, organic etc?
Hi Frank,
Thanks for your post and I apologize for the delayed response.
I very rarely see organic canned goods unless I am shopping at a natural foods market. Shopping at a natural/organic food store does not eliminate the possibility of purchasing genetically modified food, but does increase the chances of having a larger variety of non-engineered fruits and vegetables. You will not know whether a canned good is organic unless it has the “Organic” label slapped on the front of the product. If there isn’t a label or claim stating “Organic”, you can assume that the product is genetically engineered. Overall, I do not recommend buying canned veggies; they tend to be high in salt and sugar to extend shelf-life. You are far better off consuming fresh or frozen vegetables/fruit, plus, they taste better!
Hi,
I came across your site looking for PLU numbers (as I was writing someone and looking for specifics in how to word the information), and I saw that you put that numbers beginning with a 3 or 4 are conventionally gorwn, and they are, but one important piece for you to know is that those beginning with a 3 have been irradiated and are dead foods. Thought you might like to know this.
I avoid anything beginning with a 3 or an 8(GMO) like the plague.
Lori
Interesting information – I didn’t know this! Thanks for sharing!
Very interesting…fun facts!