Those little stickers you find on your fruits and vegetables have a lot of meaning behind them. The numbers you see are called Price Lookup (PLU) Codes and are much more than a code meant for store employees...but do you know what they mean?

Pay attention and you will notice that each sticker contains a 4-5 digit numeric code. These codes tell us if the produce was conventionally grown, organically grown or genetically modified. This coding system is upheld by the International Federation for Produce Standards and it is used in Canada, the US and many other countries. All countries exporting to Canada and the US use this system.

If the code has 4 digits - This means that your fruit or vegetable was grown conventionally. Conventionally means that it was grown on a regular farm and chemical pesticides/fertilizers were used.

If the code has 5 digits and starts with the number 9 - This means that the produce was grown organically and that no chemical based sprays or pesticides were used. If sprays/pesticides were used, they are of natural origin and are not harmful to us. In most cases, the produce was grown on a smaller farm.

If the code has 5 digits and starts with the number 8 - This means that the produce is a GMO (Genetically Modified Organism). The belief that sticker codes starting with the number 5 means that  your produce has been genetically modified is a common myth. One that I did not know about until recently. Codes that start with the number 5 DO NOT mean that they have been genetically modified. The number 5 has been set aside as a placeholder for PLU codes IN CASE we ever move into a system that demands foods be labeled as GMO or not. For more info on this, see this article.

No matter what though, it's good to know what a GMO is. Food that is deemed a GMO is food that has had their genetic material altered using genetic engineering (many people refer to this type of altered food as "frankenfood"). Kinda scary sounding huh? So why genetically alter a fruit or vegetable? Scientists say that by doing this they can create produce that is more nutritious, that is is drought resistant and more. The trouble with GMO foods is that they have the potential to harm us and the environment and the full effects of eating them on a regular basis are not fully known. Preliminary results show that they can cause allergic reactions and worse. When it comes to deciding whether to buy or not to buy GMO produce, it is best to steer clear whenever possible.

Click to learn more about GMO Foods.

And don't forget before heading out to the grocery store, we carry to bring your Organic Re-Useable Produce Bags with you!

Labels: gmo foods, gmo produce, Nayla Natural Care, produce sticker codes, produce stickers, reuseable produce bags, what do the codes on produce stickers mean