pafret Loc: Northeast

Bar Codes on Produce

You've likely seen stickers stuck on most fruits and vegetables. These stickers usually have a bar code on them for scanning and a PLU code, which helps the cashier identify the type of product you are buying. But there's more to these stickers than you think. While the PLU is the 'price lookup' number that identifies the fruit or vegetable, it also helps to identify another thing - how the produce was grown.

In reading this code correctly, you will be able to tell if the fruit was genetically modified, organically grown or produced with chemical fertilizers, fungicides, or herbicides. All you need to do is learn to identify and analyze the labels and the PLU numbers. It's a lot easier than you'd imagine.

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Here's what you need to know about the PLU codes:

1. If the PLU contains only four numbers, this indicates that the produce was grown conventionally, or traditionally, with the use of pesticides. For instance, all bananas are generally marked 4011.

2. If the PLU code contains five numbers and starts with '8', this will indicate that the item is a genetically modified fruit or vegetable, meaning that they have been tampered with in an unnatural way. So in the case of a genetically modified banana, it would be marked, 84011.

3. If there are five numbers in the PLU code, and the number starts with '9', this indicates that the product was grown organically and was not genetically modified. So, an organic banana would be marked: 94011.

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

thanks for the information.

JimMe

This sounds strange... Strange in that, by your statements, whoever makes-up the stickers on the produce tells the seeding and growing history... But what isn't said is that Government Officials are responsible for the testing of the produce, including the correct use of bar codes, from the seeding thru to the retail selling, to ensure public safety... And this is true with virtually everything that is sold, not just produce...

pafret Loc: Northeast

There will always be vendors who will cheat and apply stickers warranting higher prices on inferior products. In the old days it was "Don't buy any wooden nutmegs". "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth". "Caveat Emptor" tells us even the Romans had problems with inferior merchandise.

Nothing has changed, there will always be crooks. This article imparted some information as to what the numbers on the produce mean, it is not a means of determining veracity.

lindajoy Loc: right here with you....

Thank You, next time at the store I’m going to look and see what it says...

JimMe

You are correct... The post was merely informative... My thoughts were beyond the scope of what was said...