Decoding Your Produce
- Posted on
- By Medteam Weight Loss
Did you know those small stickers on produce are for more than pricing - they also reveal how fruits and veggies are grown and if they're from genetically modified organisms (GMO), plants whose DNA has been altered.
Did you know those small stickers on produce are for more than pricing - they also reveal how fruits and veggies are grown and if they're from genetically modified organisms (GMO), plants whose DNA has been altered. (No law requires GMO labeling, so only organic produce is guarantees to be GMO-free.)
According to the International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS), the first number of these PLU or Price Look-Up codes actually tells you how the fruits and veggies were grown.
Here are a few simple tips on how to decode the codes.
If the first number is:
• 3 or 4 - This means conventionally grown produce (pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers).
• 8 - This indicates genetically modified (GMO) or genetically engineered (GE) produce.
• 9 - This means that the produce is organic (non-GMO and no hormones, fertilizers, synthetic pesticides or any other "-cides").
Of course, price is always a factor, but eat as much number 9's as you can, get your 3 and 4's, and avoid the 8's
whenever possible. 
Sources:
- Expert Tips from Rachel Beller MS, RD, Biggest Loser Nutritionist
- Women's Health Magazine, pg. 34 / June 2012
- To access the existing globally-used PLU codes, refer to www.plucodes.com
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