What Are Your Fruit Numbers?

I’m sure you have recognized the little sticker labels on the fruit when you are in the produce area of the food markets. These labels, or produce codes, actually tell you how the fruits have been grown. The price look up code (PLU), is a code system used by most United States produce distributors. This code is said to give the consumers the ability to identify how the produce was grown, and give us the ability to pick and choose. They indicate whether the fruit was grown organically, conventionally, grown with pesticides and herbicides, or GMO grown.

The following is a list to try to remember. We tell our patients at New Hope Unlimited to write the first numbers down and carry them with you to the market. If you like, print this page out and cut the labels out from below.

Conventional Fruit Labels–  These labels mostly start with the number 4 and will contain four digits.

Organic Fruit Labels– These labels will always contain 5 digits and start with the number 9.

Genetically Modified Fruit labels– These labels will start with the number 8. *This is good to remember because the stores are not legally bound to tell you the fruit is GMO produced.

The next time you go shopping, try to remember to look at the labels on everything, including the fruit.

-Dr Fredda Branyon